New season, new strike force
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New season, new strike force
Leeds United will line-up with a new look strike force at the start of next season with the signing of Lee Erwin and Chris Wood. Why not have a flutter on Leeds next season with the football betting promotions on offer. First in was Erwin, the 21 year old from Motherwell on a free transfer signing a three year contract. The young Scot has scored 6 goals in 39 appearances for Motherwell and a further 8 goals in 11 appearances for Scottish League two side Arbroath FC. Erwin hit a vein of form towards the end of last season scoring 5 goals in 11 appearances including 1 against Rangers at Ibrox in the Scottish Premiership play-off first leg. Though perhaps he will be better known for receiving a punch from Bilel Mohsni at the end of the second leg which lead to an on pitch brawl. On signing the new deal Erwin said;
"I'm absolutely over the moon and I can't wait to get started. It's amazing. Once Leeds came to me it was really hard to say no. They're a huge club and the stadium and training facilities are brilliant."
The second new striker of the summer was 23 year old New Zealand international Chris Wood, signing from Leicester City on a 4 year deal. With Leeds rumoured to have paid around £2.5 million for Chris Wood I’m hoping that somewhere, in an apartment in Monaco, an old white bearded man fell off his chair. With 8 English clubs under his belt including Barnsley, Ipswich, Millwall, West Brom, Birmingham, Brighton & Leicester Wood will hope the four year deal will give him some stability having had limited chances for Leicester last year spending 8 games on loan to Ipswich. In 201 games Wood has scored 57 goals. His strength and physicality combined with an experience of English football should be positive assets for next season. On signing Wood said;
"Things didn't look right last season but I think the club has turned a corner now, I did my research, looked behind the scenes and spoke to the owner and I think the club is on the right path. It's going to take a lot of work for things to come together but I think they have the right people on board to do that. I've got the confidence that my best years are ahead of me, I want to be hitting my peak now and I feel like I can do that here. Leeds showed me the love, the passion, the drive and, ultimately, that's perfect for me."
They will of course join Mirco Antenucci and Souleymane Doukara as Uwe Rosler attacking options for the coming season. Antenucci was of course top scorer last season with 10 goals in 37 appearances whilst Doukara in a rather inconsistent season netted 7 times. It would be fair to say that Rosler will expect more goals from his strikers next season. It does but the future of Billy Sharp and Steve Morison in doubt with Wigan and Sheffield United already said to have shown interest in Sharp.
Leeds are also said to be in the running to sign Icelandic attacking midfielder Birkir Bjarnason after his move to Torino is reported to have broken down.