“Pointless” – Clear Leeds United message sent over Sammie Szmodics summer transfer pursuit

“Pointless” – Clear Leeds United message sent over Sammie Szmodics summer transfer pursuit

Sammie Szmodics, the former forward for Blackburn Rovers, was connected to Leeds United throughout the summer, but the club decided not to make an official bid for the Championship Golden Boot winner, opening the door for Szmodics to join Premier League team Ipswich Town.

The Leeds United administration was said to have been concerned that Szmodics was too similar to Joel Piroe and had not been viewed as a top target.

That was in spite of rumours that circulated all summer about the Irish international maybe moving to Elland Road. According to Alan Nixon, he first made contact with the Tractor Boys in July, and in mid-August, he finalised a contract that might ultimately cost £11 million.

Is there any sentiment now that Szmodics is playing in the Premier League?

Leeds United were right to hold off splashing the cash on Sammie Szmodics

Based on the first two months of the season, we asked our Leeds United fan commentator, Kris Smith, if the team missed a mark by passing on a potential deal for Szmodics or if they were correct to turn down a deal.

“I personally think that Sammie Szmodics would’ve made any sense for us given what we’re looking at with Piroe right now,” Smith said to Football League World, referring to the difficulties the team is currently facing under Daniel Farke in trying to find a good, consistent role for Joel Piroe in our starting 11.

Without a doubt, Szmodics is a Premier League-caliber finisher; his Golden Boot victory with Blackburn from the previous campaign was evidence of this.

“But Leeds need a lot more from their forwards at the moment, in games when we’re dominating the ball, than what he gives – that’s just a good ability to bury chances.

“We need someone who can press and link-up play as well as the other options that we have in our attack. For me, whenever I watch Szmodics, I don’t see that ever from him.

For a team like Leeds, that would essentially make him a waste of money. Although he’s a wonderful addition for Ipswich, he’s not for us since we play a different style of football than they do.

“It becomes a little repetitive to focus on Szmodics when Piroe is in a similar situation with regard to his other contributions outside of goals.

The way Piroe is playing in the last third right now, I find it somewhat silly to imply that we regret Szmodics after the goal return.

“Having two players in the lineup just for the purpose of finishing opportunities is really unnecessary, and Piroe is doing just that.

Szmodics and Piroe could’ve formed deadly attacking partnership

Although there were legitimate worries that Szmodics’s signing would result in Leeds’ attacking midfield having too many cooks, some new data may indicate that Piroe and Szmodics could have collaborated well.

Piroe played as a center-forward in Leeds’ final match before the international break against Sunderland, and it was his deft movement and excellent finishing that levelled the score after the Black Cats had taken an early lead.

One of the main points of contention in Leeds United circles for a while has been whether the Dutchman possesses the skills and qualities necessary to lead the line, and based on that performance, Piroe most definitely seems to have them.

If that is the case, having him operate as a centre-forward and dropping Szmodics in-behind him in the number 10 role, in which he predominantly played in and scored his goals in for Blackburn last season, could’ve been a deadly combination for Leeds this season.

Szmodics might have been one of the season’s best deals, with Ipswich just having to pay £9 million for his services, and he might have had a significant impact on Leeds’ efforts to compete in the Premier League.

It would have also relieved some of the load on youthful Mateo Joseph, who has done a good job leading the line this season despite only scoring one goal in his first nine games.

Although it is true that Piroe and Szmodics probably couldn’t have played together in an attacking midfield, if Leeds had approached the deal with Piroe’s position as a center-forward in mind, opinions about the potential purchase of the former Championship star may have been different.

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