Leeds United opinion: Should the Whites sign Jordan Hugill?
According to a report from The Sun on Sunday (print edition, page 60, June 23, 2019) (h/t Teesside Live), Leeds United are considering a move for West Ham misfit Jordan Hugill, but they’ll face competition from Sheffield Wednesday.
Jordan Hugill, 27, joined West Ham from Preston North End in January 2018 but has since made just three Premier League appearances and spent the last season on loan at Middlesbrough, where he scored just six times in the Championship.
The Hammers are ready to take a hit by offloading him this summer and despite his struggles, the forward already has some Championship clubs vying for his signature. That being said, Leeds United must steer clear of signing Hugill.
The Whites are yet to make a signing so far in the summer transfer window. They came agonisingly close to securing automatic promotion and then reaching the playoff final but eventually suffered heartbreak.
Marcelo Bielsa must have got an idea regarding the issues he needs to solve over the summer. It all comes down to recruiting the right profile of players under Bielsa.
One of the most crucial areas that needs strengthening is the striking department, with Kemar Roofe and Patrick Bamford the only recognised forwards available to Bielsa.
Roofe was fantastic for much of the 2018/19 season as Leeds spent much of the year in the driving seat. In fact, it was the injury to Roofe that saw the Whites lose momentum and eventually miss out on their primary target.
Bamford, meanwhile, endured an injury-hit debut campaign at Elland Road, managing just nine goals in 23 appearances. That clearly tells why Leeds struggled to score goals consistently last season. A new striker is of paramount importance but the Whites must stay clear of Hugill.
Hugill did relatively well for Preston which earned him a big move to West Ham in the Premier League last year. However, he has struggled to make an impact at the London stadium and is deemed surplus to requirements by Manuel Pellegrini.
The 27-year-old may be an attractive proposition for Championship clubs due to his decent experience in England’s second-tier, but Hugill would not fit Bielsa’s high-octane style of play at Elland Road.
The striker’s record hints that he may struggle to prove that he is the right player to address the club’s goalscoring problem, with the ex-Preston North End star reaching double figures for league goals just once in his career.
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In fact, Hugill also couldn’t make much of an impact on a season-long loan spell with Middlesbrough, although one could argue that he played in a defensive system under Tony Pulis at the Riverside stadium.
Verdict
Hugill may have been impressive during the latter stages of his spell with Preston North End, but Bielsa and Leeds would surely be better off not signing him from West Ham.