Leeds United journalist explains why club didn’t sign £5m striker last summer

Add as preferred source on Google

Leeds United were linked with a whole host of names last summer. That will probably be the case yet again over the next few months. One player that was seemingly on their radar was Jack Marriott.

A report from The Sun in May of last year suggested the then Peterborough hotshot was wanted by Leeds and a host of other clubs. The valuation of the former Luton man stood at £6.5 million, after a campaign which saw him score 33 times for The Posh.

Of course, it never happened and, tomorrow night, Marriott will be hoping to break Leeds hearts with the team he eventually did join, Derby County. He made the move in a deal which could eventually be worth £5 million, according to the Daily Mail.

But speaking on the YEP’s Inside Elland Road podcast yesterday (14/05/2019; 38:20) prominent Leeds United journalist Phil Hay admitted that Leeds did take a look at the striker.

However, they decided in Kemar Roofe they already had an equally viable attacking option.

“Leeds did have a look at him. But he was going to be £6 million from Peterborough. They didn’t feel, and this has been born out I think, that there was anything in Marriott they couldn’t get from Kemar Roofe.

“On that basis, it was not a deal worth doing and obviously they spent money on Bamford as well.”

That has certainly proved correct. Marriott has managed just seven goals in the Championship this season and has not found the net since December.

Despite impressive showings against both Manchester United and Chelsea in the EFL Cup, Roofe has outperformed the Rams striker. In fact, he has scored double the amount of goals in the Championship and played fewer games due to injury.

Leeds will just hope Marriott does not break his goalscoring duck tonight.