As per reports by talkSPORT, Leeds United are all set to lure Lazio striker, Felipe Caicedo, to Elland Road. Caicedo was transfer listed by the Serie A outfit at the end of last season and the report states that the player is leaning towards signing a deal with the Championship side. Will his move to Leeds United benefit the club?
Leeds United struggled under the tutelage of Thomas Christiansen as well as Paul Heckingbottom and failed to impose a serious challenge for promotion to the Premier League last season.
The Whites finished 13th with just 60 points. One of the main reasons for their stagnation last season was the absence of a reliable goal-getter up front.
After the departure of Chris Wood to Burnley last summer, Leeds United have not been to find a replacement for the sensational Kiwi striker.
Last season, the likes of Pierre-Michel Lasogga, Jay-Roy Grot, Pawel Cibicki often flattered to deceive and weren’t consistent enough. They scored just 59 goals from 46 league games, and in order to challenge for promotion, Leeds United will need more clinical forwards.
With Marcelo Bielsa at the helm now, the Peacocks are in a phase of transition and their apparent interest to rope Caicedo makes a lot of sense.
Who is Leeds target Caicedo?
He started his senior career with Basel and then moved to Manchester City. Subsequently, he had loan spells with Sporting CP, Malaga and Levante and then moved on to garner permanent signings with Lokomotiv Moscow, Al Jazira, Espanyol and Lazio.
The 29-year-old moved to the Eagles last summer and went on to make 22 appearances. He managed to find the back of the net on 3 occasions but notably, 18 of those appearances were as a substitute and he actually averaged a goal every 234 minutes.
Caicedo had an impressive record with the Ecuador national side, having scored 22 times in 66 outings, before his retirement in September 2017.
Caicedo has plenty of experience under his belt and that should come handy for Leeds United if they manage to sign him. He is a pretty strong forward and his height gives him an added advantage in the air and the rugged nature of the Championship.
He holds the ball really well in the final third and possesses the physicality to keep defenders at bay. He still has a decent turn of pace and would be a pretty wise addition to Leeds.
