Leeds United are now “making regular checks” on a £16m striker, who could join instead of Newcastle United’s Callum Wilson, according to a report.
Update on Leeds’ pursuit of Wilson
A visibly upset Wilson appeared to say farewell to the Newcastle crowd on Sunday afternoon, with the English striker poised to leave the Magpies upon the expiration of his contract in the summer.
The striker has played a sporadic role for Eddie Howe’s side this season, predominantly featuring as a substitute, and he could now be in line to move to a fellow Premier League side, where he wouldn’t have to compete for a starting spot with a striker of Alexander Isak’s quality.
Leeds have expressed an interest in the Englishman, as they look to bring in players with top-flight experience to avoid an instant return to the Championship, but there has now been a new update on their interest in the striker.
According to a report from Football Insider, Leeds now have doubts about signing Wilson, with transfer correspondent Pete O’Rourke revealing that Dinamo Kyiv’s Vladyslav Vanat has been identified as a potential alternative option.
O’Rourke said: “It would be a gamble… [Vanat] has a good goalscoring record for Dinamo Kyiv in Ukraine. He does have a release clause of around £16million, so relatively cheap in today’s market as well.
“It’ll be a huge gamble, but I’m sure that Leeds’ scouts and all those other teams will have been making regular checks on him, and they’ll recommend if they think he could do it in the Premier League or not.”
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“Powerful” Vanat would be an interesting gamble for Leeds
Given that Vanat has no experience in a major European league, having never played outside his home country of Ukraine, it would be a gamble for Leeds to pursue a move this summer, but there are some indications it could be a risk worth taking.
The Ukraine international maintained a solid goalscoring record throughout the 2024-25 campaign, playing a major role in his side securing the Ukrainian Premier League title.
|
Competition |
Appearances |
Goals |
Assists |
|
Ukrainian Premier League |
28 |
17 |
4 |
|
Europa League |
8 |
1 |
1 |
|
Champions League qualifying |
6 |
2 |
2 |
|
Ukrainian Cup |
3 |
1 |
2 |
Football scout Ben Mattinson has also been left impressed by the 23-year-old in the past, claiming he could make an immediate impact in the Premier League.
Wilson may have proven himself in the Premier League, but the Newcastle striker is now 33-years-old and has a patchy injury record to say the least, so Vanat could be a fantastic alternative option.
