There could be plenty of change at the top end of the pitch for Leeds United ahead of the 2025/26 Premier League campaign, after they made their first signing of the summer on Sunday.
The Whites officially confirmed the signing of Lukas Nmecha on a free transfer from Wolfsburg, with his contract at the Bundesliga side due to expire at the end of the month.
He is a centre-forward by trade, playing 193 career matches in that position, but the German attacker has also played on both the left and right flanks in his club career, which means that he could provide useful versatility across the frontline for Daniel Farke next season.
24/25 (Wolfsburg)
8
20
3
23/24 (Wolfsburg)
39
4
2
22/23 (Wolfsburg)
17
18
4
21/22 (Wolfsburg)
9
31
10
20/21 (Anderlecht)
0
37
18
19/20 (Wolfsburg + Middlesbrough)
4
25
0
18/19 (Preston North End)
0
41
4
As you can see in the table above, though, Nmecha looks set to be a risky signing for Leeds because he has struggled with injuries in recent seasons and has failed to deliver goals on a regular basis since the 2021/22 campaign, which included two goals in five Champions League outings.
The 26-year-old star, who was described as a “complete” striker by Vincent Kompany during his time at Anderlecht, could be a quality option for Farke if he can regain the form that he displayed in front of goal in the 2020/21 and 2021/22 seasons.
With Nmecha’s arrival, and the news that they are after another number nine, Leeds may have to part ways with some of the strikers already at the club, and avoid a Chris Wood repeat.
How Leeds fumbled Chris Wood
The New Zealand international enjoyed a prolific spell at Elland Road between 2015 and 2017 after his move from Leicester ahead of the 2015/16 campaign.
As you can see in the graphic above, Wood, who joined the club at the age of 23, averaged a goal every other game for the Championship side, but he never got the chance to play in the Premier League because of his £15m move to Burnley in 2017.
The Kiwi marksman left before the Marcelo Bielsa revolution in West Yorkshire, and has gone on to prove himself to be a very impressive goalscorer in the top-flight.
Wood, who scored 20 goals in the Premier League for Nottingham Forest in the 2024/25 season, has racked up 89 goals in 263 top-flight games in his career for Burnley, Newcastle United, and Forest combined.
This shows that Leeds fumbled a brilliant Premier League striker option because they cashed in on him before he got the chance to his his peak at Elland Road, and they could be about to repeat a similar blunder with Mateo Joseph.
The latest on Mateo Joseph's future
Earlier this month, journalist Graeme Bailey told Leeds United News that Real Betis had agreed a fee worth up to £8.5m to sign the Spain U21 international this summer.
However, Spanish outlet Estadio Deportivo, as relayed by Sport Witness, then rubbished that claim and reported that a deal between the two clubs is nowhere near complete.
In fact, Estadio Deportivo stated that there was a big gap between what the LaLiga outfit would be willing to pay for Joseph and what the Championship champions want for their back-up forward.
Now, Sunday’s edition of ABC Sevilla, as relayed by Sport Witness, reports that Real Betis are currently in talks with the striker and his representatives over the possibility of a move to the club.
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The report claims that Betis, who will play Europa League football next season, are planning to convince the player to make the switch before they enter serious negotiations, after making initial contact with Leeds to gauge a price tag for him.
That price tag is reported to be as high as £13m, as per Mundo Deportivo’s separate report on Sunday, which is not all too dissimilar to the fee that the Whites received for Wood from Burnley.
Why selling Joseph could be a Wood repeat
As aforementioned, the New Zealand international moved on from Elland Road for a big fee before he had the opportunity to fulfill his potential as a Premier League goalscorer.
Joseph is not in the exact same situation as Wood was in, as he only scored three goals in 39 matches in the Championship this season, but it would be a similar move in the sense that he would be leaving before fulfilling his potential.
The Spanish marksman produced three goals and three assists in just 11 starts, mainly coming off the bench, as he found himself behind Joel Piroe in the pecking order.
Selling him now would mean that Leeds will never see him flourish at first-team level, which would be a shame when you consider the level that he could reach in the future.
Non-penalty xG
0.36
Top 29%
Shots total
2.73
Top 11%
Shots on target
1.05
Top 17%
Non-penalty goals
0.21
Bottom 34%
xAG
0.13
Top 20%
Assists
0.21
Top 6%
Shot-creating actions
2.31
Top 20%
Touches in the opposition’s box
5.25
Top 10%
As you can see in the table above, the 21-year-old marksman showed plenty of encouraging signs in the Championship, as he regularly got shots on target, got himself into great postions to score, and was effective at creating chances for his teammates.
However, Joseph, who was hailed as “dynamite” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, needs to find consistency in his finishing, because that appears to be the one area of his game that is letting him down.
The Leeds youngster, though, scored 19 goals in 33 games for the club’s U21 team and has scored eight goals in 11 caps for Spain’s U21 side, which suggests that the potential is there for him to deliver goals on a regular basis.
Given his impressive scoring record at youth level and the great situations he is getting in at first-team level, it could be down to confidence or nerves in front of goal that is stopping him from exploding for Leeds.
This is why Joseph leaving to sign for Real Betis, amid talks with the Spanish outfit, could be a Wood repeat for Leeds because it could be another case of a promising young forward leaving to fulfill their potential elsewhere.
The Championship champions could end up watching on as Joseph finds his feet in front of goal to become a regular scorer for Betis, given that the rest of his game already appears to be at a high level.
Terms agreed: "Dominant" £17m star says yes to signing for Leeds United
Leeds United appear to be closing in on their first signing of the summer window.
ByDan Emery
The signing of Nmecha has put another hurdle in front of Joseph at Elland Road, but the club should avoid selling him for now due to the potential he has to be a star in the future.