How Leeds can sign a superior striker to Nmecha with £40m transfer swoop

Lukas Nmecha scored his second goal of pre-season for Leeds United in their 2-0 win over Bundesliga side RB Leipzig at Elland Road on Saturday.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin opened the scoring with a tap-in from close range in the seventh minute, converting from Sean Longstaff’s perfect ball across the box.

The German striker then added the second and final goal of the match shortly after half-time when he adjusted well to find the back of the net from Wilfried Gnonto’s cut-back.

Nmecha had also scored the winning goal in an earlier friendly against Premier League rivals Sunderland, with a low driven effort from distance on his left foot in that game.

Why Leeds need to sign another centre-forward

Despite his impressive form in pre-season so far, Leeds still need to dip back into the market to sign an upgrade on the former Wolfsburg man before the transfer window slams shut at the start of next month.

The 27-year-old marksman did not seriously challenge Calvert-Lewin for his place in the starting line-up last season, and Daniel Farke may want more competition for places if the aim is to push for a European finish this term.

Nmecha scored four non-penalty goals in 31 appearances in the Premier League for the Whites in the 2025/26 campaign after arriving from Wolfsburg on a free transfer last summer.

Calvert-Lewin was far more prolific than the German attacker, scoring more than twice as many goals in the top-flight, and looks like the nailed-on starter for the club heading into the new campaign.

Farke could put the England international under pressure and ensure that he has a top-quality back-up to him, though, by signing another number nine to sit between his two current options in the pecking order.

Leeds have Lukas Nmecha upgrade on their transfer wishlist

Leeds recently smashed their transfer record to sign James Trafford from Manchester City for £40m, and they are now looking at a striker who could cost a similar fee.

LeedsLive reports that Leeds United want to add more firepower to their ranks before the end of the summer transfer window, as they look for an understudy to Calvert-Lewin.

The outlet claims that one of the players on the 49ers transfer wishlist is Club Brugge centre-forward Nicolo Tresoldi, who is said to be one of a number of names on their list of targets.

However, it adds that the Belgian side are looking for a fee of at least £40m for the Germany U21 international and that they do not want to cash in on him, which means that this could be a difficult deal to get over the line in the coming weeks.

Given the money already spent by the Whites on Tarik Muharemovic, who signed from Sassuolo for £34m, and Trafford this summer, a £40m move for Tresoldi would be a big statement of intent from the 49ers.

If the money is there for the club to put together an attractive offer for the German striker, Leeds should approach Club Brugge with a bid to bring him to Elland Road in the coming weeks, because he is so superior to Nmecha.

Tresoldi’s form in the Pro League in the 2025/26 campaign was exceptional, scoring 19 times in 29 starts, and he would arrive in West Yorkshire as a significant upgrade on his compatriot.

Nmecha, 27, has never scored more than 18 goals in a season in his career and has not reached double figures since he scored ten goals for Wolfsburg in the 2021/22 season, which suggests that the Club Brugge star would offer far more to the team as a goalscorer.

Tresoldi also created more chances for his teammates and supplied more assists at league level last term, suggesting that he would also be a greater creative threat for Farke’s team than the ex-Wolfsburg man.

The £40m-rated star, who scored 22 goals in all competitions for Club Brugge, would come in to seriously challenge Calvert-Lewin for his starting berth, given his incredible goal return, which is not something that Nmecha looks likely to do after last season.

At the age of 21, he is also six years younger than Nmecha and eight years younger than Calvert-Lewin, which means that he could be the club’s long-term number nine as a young player with plenty of years left ahead of him to develop and improve.

It is now down to the Whites to agree a deal to sign the German striker, who has scored two goals in two games already this season, so that they can improve the quality of their options in the centre-forward role.