Sky Sports pundit Darren bent has lauded Watford striker Andre Gray as the ideal option for Leeds United to target during the January window.
The Whites are in the market for a new centre-forward after Arsenal recalled England U21 international Eddie Nketiah, and are expected to add more firepower to Marcelo Bielsa’s offence if the right candidate becomes available.
There has been talk of a £1million loan with a £10m obligation-to-buy clause for Southampton forward Che Adams, though Saints boss Ralph Hasenhuttl is reticent to lose his side’s £15m summer signing.
Hornets attacker Gray has also been linked with a move to Elland Road recently, but the Vicarage Road outfit are believed to have rebuffed our advances when the question of a transfer was raised.
A deal for the former Burnley man to join Bielsa in West Yorkshire could still come to fruition later in the window, while Newcastle United’s Dwight Gayle was considered before the London-born striker sustained an injury.
If no other options appear on the cards, Bent is adamant that Gray would be the perfect player to provide the goals which secure our promotion into the Premier League.
“We’ve seen before when he was at Burnley, he was the best player in the Championship that year with them,” Bent told Football Insider. “He’s got the pace, the power and that might be just what they need.
“Obviously Bamford isn’t really scoring the goals at the moment. It’s strange, but I think that [Gray] will be the perfect signing.
“There’s been talk of [Cauley] Woodrow and I think he’d have been a very good signing, Dwight Gayle [was] mentioned, but of course if you can’t get them two, Andre Gray has proven pedigree in that league.”
Would you sign Gray in January?
Yes
No
Gray hit a division-high 23 goals during the 2015/16 Championship season as Burnley secured their promotion into the Premier League as title-winners.
A year in the top-flight which returned nine goals in 32 matches saw Gray secure a move away from Turf Moor and headed to Watford, where he penned a five-year contract worth £70,000-per-week.
The £10.8m-rated 28-year-old has never hit more than seven goals in a Premier League season for the Hornets, and is currently on two in 18 appearances this term.
Gray is not a regular of the Vicarage Road side’s starting line-up, with just seven inclusions in the opening XI from a possible 22 to date.
In other Leeds United news, the club are reportedly now the ‘likely destination’ for a 15-cap forward.