Leeds in “active talks” to sign their new Chris Wood for big money fee

Dominic Calvert-Lewin continues to stand out as one of Leeds United‘s most potent strikers in the Premier League in recent memory.

Amazingly, the former Everton marksman is only four goals off matching Rodrigo’s entire top-flight tally for the 2022/23 season, with the Spaniard powering home 13 strikes from 31 games.

Patrick Bamford did have a memorable 17-goal season, as the Marcelo Bielsa-led Whites secured an unbelievable ninth-place finish at the close of 2019/20, but he regressed worryingly after this standout campaign, with the hope that Calvert-Lewin can continue ageing like a fine wine, beyond his current purple patch.

Despite being lauded as an “unbelievable” finisher by Daniel Farke, Calvert-Lewin won’t want to feel too strained by carrying the burden of being Leeds’ main attacking focal point all season long, as Leeds continue to hunt down striker reinforcements this January.

Leeds actively working on deal for new striker

The free-flowing number nine continues to cut a very assured figure at Elland Road, as his spell in West Yorkshire plays out like a dream.

Still, he was prone to a poor patch of goalscoring form here and there while calling the Toffees home. Moreover, he has regularly struggled with injuries, with Leeds perhaps looking to strike a deal with Genk for Oh Hyeon-gyu to boost their options up top. According to reports, they’ve been offered the South Korean by intermediaries.

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There is also the ongoing scenario of Jorgen Strand Larsen’s future at Wolverhampton Wanderers, with Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Graham Smyth coming out to offer the latest on Leeds’ pursuit of the in-demand Norwegian.

Speaking on the Inside Elland Road podcast, Smyth has confirmed that Leeds have put forward a bid for the coveted Scandinavian, with talks and conversations still happening over a bumper £40m move happening, before the frantic window slams shut.

In full, Smyth stated: “Leeds are still actively pursuing him. I think what we can derive from that is that they are still in conversation with Wolves and they are still in active talks with Wolves. So even if their bid didn’t land and Wolves didn’t jump at it, which let’s be honest, they are not going to, then I know it’s not the end of Leeds interest in the player.

“They haven’t moved on and I think that’s what they’d be saying if they wanted to draw a line under this or if they’d put in their absolute best and Wolves had knocked it back.”

This has all the makings of being a switch that goes right down to the wire of February’s approaching deadline, with Farke potentially winning himself his very own Chris Wood in the process.

How Strand Larsen could be Farke’s own Wood

Fast forward to the present, Wood is now seen as one of Nottingham Forest’s most effective focal points up top, with one of his former bosses, Eddie Howe, even going as far as to herald the New Zealand international as “outstanding” at the City Ground.

He is deserving of such grand praise, with the Auckland-born striker now up to 39 goals for the Tricky Trees from just 91 contests.

However, he boasted a heftier tally when still calling West Yorkshire home, with the forceful marksman putting away 44 goals for Leeds, when they were marooned in the second tier, by being both an imposing but skilful presence up top.

Calvert-Lewin has since filled this goalscoring hole well, but Strand Larsen could come into the building and be Farke’s very own Wood, if the unfolding transfer saga goes in Leeds’ favour, when assessing his mightily impressive numbers for Wolves last season, during his debut season in the Premier League.

When assessing their 2024/25 numbers side-by-side, it’s clear that both strikers love operating as instinctive target men for their respective teams, with their average of accurate passes per Premier League contest – during the 2024/25 season – coming in at a very low 8.4 and 8.7, respectively, as per Sofascore.

But, when given half a chance, they can both terrorise top-flight defences with their lofty frames and deadly edge in front of goal, with Strand Larsen putting away a clinical 14 league goals last season, next to Wood’s 20 efforts.

Subsequently, former Premier League goalscoring great Alan Shearer has labelled Strand Larsen as a “nuisance” to try to thwart, with the former Celta Vigo centre-forward both cool and calm in front of goal, while also being capable of dominating in the air, like the ex-Leeds number nine.

Further lauded as an “excellent” goalscorer by Shearer, it will be up to the German to get the very best out of his new recruit if he does make the expected move from Nottinghamshire to Yorkshire a reality, with Strand Larsen only able to boast one Premier League strike so far this campaign.

He has managed to work his magic on Calvert-Lewin, so he will hope he can be the same confidence-boosting presence from the sidelines that the on-the-move 25-year-old desires, as Leeds’ next iteration of Wood potentially arrives before the window is out.

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