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After promotion from the Championship last season, Leeds United Our mission is to improve the front line to help them return to the top flight.
The team added two senior centers in the offseason, but both signings were free transfers – raising questions about a lack of investment.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin is among the supplementary players who joins the Whites after leaving his compatriots Premier League Plays for Everton at the end of the 2024/25 season.
Lukas Nmecha is another newcomer brought in by the board and the pair have scored a combined 16 goals in their first 26 league games at Elland Road.
However, the aforementioned duo are not the only attackers to move to Yorkshire this summer, with another forward reinforcement also capturing the hearts of fans.
The numbers behind Noah Okafor’s return to form at Leeds United
As part of a summer recruitment drive, management spent around £18 million to sign Italian AC Milan forward Noah Okafor.
The Switzerland international’s arrival has caused huge excitement among fans as his experience at the top level of European football will be vital for Los Blancos.
He has played 24 times for Falke’s team this season and scored 3 goals. The forward has performed well in the Premier League.
The 25-year-old has scored in his last two games against Nottingham Forest and Chelsea, with the attacker starting to show his top quality.
His performance against Forest in particular was arguably his best for the club, with the forward carrying the ball twice and completing four crosses during the victory.
Okafor’s recent performances will only improve the club’s chances of survival, with the Switzerland international providing Falk with another impressive forward option alongside Calvert-Lewin and Nmecha.
The Leeds United star is now worth more than Okafor
As you can see from the impact the aforementioned trio have had on Leeds United this season, the club is conducting some excellent business that could help them maintain their status in the top flight.
Even in previous years, the club had made quality additions in the transfer market, many of which enabled them to secure their return to the Premier League last season.
The high-priced sales of the likes of Kalvin Phillips, Raphinha and Georginio Rutter were frowned upon at the time, but there’s no denying that their sales have suited the current circumstances.
There has also been some haggling going on during this period, with a £3.8m deal set to land soon Wilfrid Noto FC Zurich had launched the team back in the summer of 2022, and it now looks like a blockbuster deal.
The Italian was an unknown to many when he arrived in Yorkshire, but it’s safe to say that nearly four years on, he has certainly captured the hearts of fans.
The 22-year-old has made more than a century of appearances for the Whites during this period and went on to score 23 goals, including the final-day victory last season as the club clinched the title.
However, after being promoted, Genonto found it difficult to get stable playing time under Falke’s leadership, which undoubtedly aroused doubts among fans.
In the 2025/26 season, he only made 16 appearances in all competitions, only four of which were starts in the Premier League, but none of them ended up scoring.
Gnonto, known as “special” Former caretaker boss Michael Skubala has scored just once this season – his only goal coming against Derby County in the FA Cup.
|
Wilfried Gnonto – Championship statistics (2024/25) |
|
|---|---|
|
Statistics (per 90 people) |
consistent |
|
Games played |
43 |
|
Goals and assists |
15 |
|
Pass accuracy |
82% |
|
successful dribbling |
1.7 |
|
Touching the ball in the opponent’s penalty area |
5.5 |
|
Create opportunities |
1.8 |
|
shot |
3.2 |
Considering he contributed 15 goals last season, the situation has left many bewildered and his long-term future under Falke at Yorkshire is certainly up in the air.
However, his lack of action has not stopped his market value from soaring in recent months, with the youngster Now worth £22.7 million Transferred by football.
This valuation is currently higher than summer signing Okafor, who is valued at just £15.1 million despite a string of goals in the Premier League recently.
It is undeniable that the Swiss star is currently ahead of Gernonto in the head coach’s plans, and the future of the Italian and the Whites will definitely need to be addressed.
The 22-year-old is too talented to be a regular on the bench, which could force the hierarchy to cash in on his services during the summer transfer window.
Like the aforementioned departures, such a decision may not be popular with fans, but it could set the club up for a better future in the years to come.
