Jonathan Douglas claims Leeds should have signed Watford striker Andre Gray

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Jonathan Douglas has claimed that Leeds United should have signed centre-forward Andre Gray in January from Premier League club Watford.

Marcelo Bielsa’s team managed to bring in a striker late in the January window, as Jean-Kevin Augustin arrived on loan from German club RB Leipzig for the rest of the season.

He’s made the switch to Yorkshire to compete with Patrick Bamford in attack and try get the Whites promoted from the Championship, as they currently sit second in the table occupying an automatic promotion spot.

But Leeds were linked with a host of strikers last month, including English attacker Gray.

The Evening Standard reported in January that the 28-year-old was on the Leeds radar for their striker pursuit, as well as attracting interest from Nottingham Forest.

Gray, who cost Watford £18.5million (BBC) in 2017, ended up staying at Vicarage Road during the transfer window.

He’s not enjoyed much individual success this season in the top-flight, but is a striker that has 41 goals in 88 Championship appearances in his career.

Douglas, who spent four years as a midfielder at Elland Road, has suggested that his former team may have clinched promotion had they added Gray to the squad.

“Maybe they should have took a player in that knows the league,” Douglas told talkSPORT reporter Ian Abrahams on his official Instagram account.

“I’ve heard stuff like Andre Gray was linked with them and I think if they had of got a player with his quality, I think if they had of got him, he’s fully fit and ready to go and that would have helped them get promotion.”

TBR’s View:

Gray does have just two goals in 22 Watford appearances this season, but has made a lot of substitute appearance during that time and it doesn’t hide the fact he’s a different beast at Championship level.

After a slow start to life in English football from Augustin, it has left some fans frustrated that a ready-made talent wasn’t ready to come straight into the starting XI for the second half of the season.

Bamford has at times popped up with some key moments this campaign, but does waste a lot of good goalscoring opportunities too and needs the genuine competition.

But on the flip side Bielsa has shown he’s not usually the type to throw new signings in straight away and it does take time for anyone adjusting to his style.