Leeds could replace Anthony with £8.5m swoop for “absolute beast”

Leeds United are currently preparing for a second season in the Championship after they failed to earn promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

Daniel Farke’s side were beaten 1-0 by Southampton in the play-off final at Wembley last month, thanks to a first-half goal from Adam Armstrong, and they will now compete in the second tier for another year.

The Whites will have to navigate their way through the summer transfer window, which officially opens for business later this month, amid interest in a number of their key performers.

It was recently reported that forward Wilfried Gnonto wants a transfer to the Serie A, winger Crysencio Summerville has been linked with Liverpool, and Archie Gray is said to be of interest to German giants Bayern Munich.

Farke could, therefore, lose some of his important stars on top of already seeing Connor Roberts, Jaidon Anthony, and Joe Rodon return to their respective parent clubs upon the expiry of their loan deals.

The Yorkshire-based outfit could land a replacement for Anthony, though, as they have been linked with an interest in signing a winger from Germany.

Leeds United’s interest in Bundesliga forward

Earlier this month, German outlet BILD named Leeds as being one of a number of clubs interested in a swoop to sign Stuttgart forward Silas Katompa Mvumpa.

The report claimed that the 25-year-old attacker is considering a move away from the Bundesliga side due to his lack of regular game time under manager Sebastian Hoeneß, who has often named the whiz on the bench.

It stated that there is ‘great’ interest in his services and the Whites could face a tough battle to acquire his signature over the coming weeks and months.

BILD claimed that Spanish side Villarreal, Fulham from the Premier League, and Ligue 1 teams Auxerre and Lens are also eyeing up Silas for a possible transfer.

This suggests that it could be a difficult deal for Farke and his team to get over the line as there appears to be plenty of top-flight clubs in the running.

The report went on to add that Stuttgart would be willing to cash in on the winger for a fee of up to €10m (£8.5m) but it remains to be seen whether or not any of the aforementioned interested clubs are prepared to pay that for him.

If Leeds can win the race to secure Silas’ signature before the end of the transfer window then they could land a dream replacement for Anthony, to provide excellent depth in the wide areas.

Jaidon Anthony’s spell with Leeds in numbers

The Whites swooped to sign the English forward on loan from Premier League side Bournemouth at the start of the season to bolster their options on the wing.

Anthony arrived at Elland Road off the back of a return of three goals and one assist in 30 appearances in the top-flight during the 2022/23 campaign.

His lack of consistent end product in the final third carried over to the Championship season with Leeds as the attacker struggled to force his way into Farke’s starting XI.

The 24-year-old whiz, who racked up one goal and two assists in four FA Cup outings, only started two games during the regular second tier season.

As you can see in the table above, Anthony underperformed in front of goal, with one strike from 1.7 xG, and failed to create a single ‘big chance’ for his teammates in 31 attempts.

Anthony also came on in all three of the club’s play-off matches and failed to provide a single goal or assist, which meant that he ended his loan spell with one goal and zero assists in 34 league matches.

These statistics do not suggest that the Bournemouth outcast is someone the club should be pursuing for a second spell in Yorkshire, whether that is on loan or on a permanent deal.

Therefore, Leeds could be on the lookout for a new winger to replace him in the squad and provide more quality as either a starter or as competition for the likes of Summerville and Gnonto, if they stay, and that is why they should swoop for Silas.

Why Leeds should sign Silas Katompa Mvumpa

The Whites should attempt to win the race for the Stuttgart wizard as the potential is there for him to come in as an upgrade for Anthony, should they replace the Englishman with the £8.5m-rated star.

Despite not starting games on a regular basis in Germany, the DR Congo international was still able to showcase his attacking quality in the Bundesliga this season.

As you can see in the table above, Silas racked up 11 goals and ‘big chances’ created combined in 27 appearances in the German top-flight.

Whereas, Anthony only mustered one up in 31 outings in the Championship for Leeds, which suggests that the Stuttgart dynamo would provide far more quality at the top end of the pitch if Farke can convince him to make the move to Elland Road.

The 25-year-old star was once dubbed an “absolute beast” by U23 talent scout Antonio Mango, who also claimed that the Whites target was “unstoppable” during the 2020/21 campaign.

In that season, Silas racked up 11 goals, four assists, and eight ‘big chances’ created in 25 appearances in the Bundesliga, which shows that the potential is there for him to make a huge impact in the final third with regular game time.

Whilst there is no guarantee that his form in Germany will translate over to the second tier in England, Leeds may have to take risks with signings to propel them to promotion next season as players who are in-form and thriving in a top division may not want to take the step down to the Championship.

Therefore, Silas could come in as a dream replacement for Anthony and provide Farke with greater quality in depth in the wide areas if they bring him in and his performances translate to English football.