The player Carrick Njinko must replace at Leeds

Leeds United have enjoyed a fairly strong start to their second season back in the Premier League with only one defeat in the opening six matches.

The 2-1 defeat to Arsenal at The Emirates last weekend was their first defeat of the 2026/27 campaign in the league, after they went unbeaten in the first five games.

Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra

One issue that the Whites have had this term, however, is scoring goals. Either side of a 4-1 win over Newcastle United, Daniel Farke‘s side have only scored four goals in five matches.

Leeds may not have to wait until the January transfer window to solve that problem, though, because Carrick Njinko is causing a stir among supporters with his performances for the U21s.

Why Leeds fans are talking about Carrick Njinko

The 18-year-old talent came off the bench for the U21s in their EFL Trophy clash with Oldham Athletic on Wednesday and scored a sublime goal, chopping inside two defenders before rifling a shot into the bottom corner on his right foot.

Njinko has some supporters speaking about his first-team prospects and taking note of his performances, as his goal on Wednesday night made it nine goals in nine appearances in all competitions this season.

He has scored six goals in three matches in the Premier League 2, scored two goals in three games in the Premier League Cup, and scored on his EFL Trophy debut this week, although he has yet to score in the National League Cup.

REUTERS/Scott Heppell

A return of nine goals in nine appearances this season is more than enough to attract attention from supporters, who will now be keeping tabs on his future performances to see how his career develops.

What Leeds need to do with Njinko next

Farke has shown throughout his time at Elland Road that he is prepared to bring academy talent into the first-team, but it is then up to them to earn more minutes in the team.

Archie Gray, Sam Chambers, and Charlie Crew are just a few examples of the young players who have been brought through by the German boss, and they had varying degrees of success based on their performances when given opportunities.

Leeds and Farke now need to provide Njinko with the opportunity that those players had to showcase their quality in the first-team, to see if he has what it takes to deliver in a senior environment.

The teenage centre-forward’s performances for the U21s this season suggest that he has the potential to solve some of their goalscoring woes if he can make the step-up, which is why the manager should give him minutes off the bench to see if he can make an impact.

Njinko could replace Leeds forward on long goal drought

Giving minutes to the academy starlet would mean taking minutes away from a player who is currently part of the first-team squad, and there is a forward who has not offered enough in the final third.

Lukas Nmecha, who joined the club on a free transfer from Wolfsburg last year, has yet to score in seven appearances in all competitions for the Whites this season.

The former Germany international did provide an assist for Dominic Calvert-Lewin in the 1-1 draw with Brentford in the Premier League, but he is on a long run without a competitive goal.

Reuters/Paul Childs

Nmecha’s last competitive goal for Leeds came against Birmingham in the FA Cup in February and his last Premier League goal was against Chelsea in the same month.

That means that he has gone 21 matches in all competitions and 16 games in the Premier League without scoring a single goal for the West Yorkshire outfit, despite being a centre-forward.

The experienced striker has yet to register a single shot on target in the top-flight this season and his struggles have contributed to the team’s overall struggles in front of goal.

Leeds need more of a threat from their attacking players at the top end of the pitch and that is why Njinko should be unleashed ahead of Nmecha as a back-up number nine to Calvert-Lewin in the coming weeks.

The U21s star’s form this season as a goalscorer indicates that he has the potential to offer more to the team than the German centre-forward, if he can make the step-up to first-team level.

Farke needs to be ruthless and take Nmecha out of the rotation in the upcoming Premier League matches to provide Njinko with an opportunity to make a senior breakthrough and provide a threat in front of goal as a scorer.

Whilst there is no guarantee that the 18-year-old talent is able to successfully make the step-up, Leeds have little to lose by dropping Nmecha with his goalless form.