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Go for it Bielsa – This 23-year-old talented German would be a fantastic boost for Leeds’ promotion push

Why Leeds should plot an audacious swoop for Davie Selke in January

Along with Max Meyer, Davie Selke – a product of the Hoffenheim academy, was seen as one of the rising stars of German football back in his days at Werder Bremen. However, the 23-year-old hasn’t quite fulfilled his potential so far and has failed to make it to Joachim Low’s senior team.

Selke, who has more than 50 caps for Germany at the youth level, was a part of the team that took part in the 2016 Rio Olympics. He scored a couple of goals to help his nation reach the finals where they were beaten by eventual champions Brazil.

Selke made his Bundesliga debut in the 2013/14 season but the 2014/15 season proved to be his breakthrough season in German football as he went on to score 9 goals for Werder Bremen.

After a successful season in the top-flight, Selke surprisingly dropped down a division to sign for RB Leipzig where he once again managed 10 goals in Bundesliga 2 and helped his team secure promotion. The 23-year-old struggled to make an impact in the top-flight for Leipzig in the 2016/17 season and subsequently shifted base to Hertha Berlin at the start of the last season.

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He did fare pretty well in his first season at Hertha Berlin but the youngster hasn’t had much success this term. In fact, he has fallen out of favour, making only 2 starts in the Bundesliga this season.

Standing at 6ft 4in, Selke is an absolute beast of a centre-forward whose primary attributes are his strength and aerial prowess. His ability to go off the ground quickly coupled with his obvious height advantage makes him a genuine threat from corners, crosses and set-pieces.  

Selke is quite agile for a striker of his stature and his killer instincts inside the box coupled with his ability to lose his marker with subtle movements make him a potent spearhead of the attack. He is at his best when deployed as the lone man up front. As a matter of fact, he averaged 4 successful aerial duels per game in the Bundesliga last term.

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While he can be a handful for the opposition with his strength and aerial ability, Selke lacks that ability to link up effectively with his teammates, and his passing in the final third hasn’t quite improved over the years.

To put things into perspective, he would be an ideal buy for Leeds United in the January transfer window. Marcelo Bielsa’s side currently sit on top of the Championship standings with 45 points from 22 games, a point ahead of 2nd-placed Norwich City, and the Peacocks have a good chance of securing automatic promotion to the Premier League next season.

Kemar Roofe has shone at Elland Road as the spearhead of the attack, scoring 10 goals and providing 2 assists, but their overreliance on the Englishman can prove to be detrimental to their chances of securing promotion. Patrick Bamford was supposed to be one of the mainstays of Leeds’ attack this season but he has hardly played due to injuries.

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Leeds might face a potential burn out of options up front should Roofe be sidelined with an injury and someone like Davie Selke can not only provide cover and competition for the Englishman but can also add another dimension to Bielsa’s attack with his aerial ability inside the box.   

That said, Leeds should start pursuing an interest in the talented German centre-forward as he might prove to be a valuable addition to their squad.