Monk refuses to admit Leeds United were interested in signing striker Bogle

Garry Monk says Leeds United looked at a number of striker targets in the January transfer window but would not confirm that the Whites were interested in Omar Bogle.
Garry Monk.Garry Monk.
Garry Monk.

Monk had hoped to sign a new forward in the run up to the January 31 transfer deadline but United’s number one target Ashley Fletcher suddenly became unavailable on the morning of deadline day when Hammers boss Slaven Bilic surprisingly revealed that the 21-year-old would be staying put.

Leeds were then linked with a whole host of striking options in the run up to the 11pm deadline – including Grimsby Town’s League Two top scorer Bogle – who then joined Wigan Athletic for an undisclosed fee, believed to be around £1m.

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Bogle, 24, has made an immediate impression for the Latics, scoring a brace in Tuesday night’s 2-2 draw at home to Norwich City which ironically might do Leeds a favour in keeping the play-off chasing Canaries away from the top six.

Omar Bogle.Omar Bogle.
Omar Bogle.

But Monk chose to neither confirm or deny that Leeds were showing any sort of interest in Bogle, ten days on from a transfer deadline day in which United signed wingers Alfonso Pedraza and Mo Barrow on loan from Villarreal and Swansea City respectively.

“We look at a number of targets,” said Monk, asked if he had been interested in signing Bogle. “We analyse a lot of players when they come in, from contacts and when they come across your table.

“But you also have to understand that you are working within budgets, you are working with restraints, you are working for the synergy of the group and an understanding of where the group is and what’s needed and what are the priorities.

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“All players come across our desk and we analyse the ones that we think are going to help us and then try and make the right decisions with taking all of those things I have just mentioned into account. That’s where we ended up with, with the window.”

Omar Bogle.Omar Bogle.
Omar Bogle.

Both Pedraza and Barrow could now make their full Whites debuts at home to Cardiff tomorrow after coming on as second-half substitutes in Sunday’s 2-1 loss at Huddersfield Town.

The wingers have joined a side for whom top scorer Chris Wood has netted 21 times this season in league and cup, almost as much as every other Whites player put together.

Leeds have scored 42 league goals this term – 19 of which have been scored by Wood – with the Whites also having netted eight times in the cup, including twice through Wood.

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In all competitions, Wood has netted 21 out of United’s 50 goals this term. Souleymane Doukara is United’s second top scorer with five goals, ahead of centre back Kyle Bartley with four. Asked if he expected goals from his two new wide recruits, Monk said: “We are looking for goals from everywhere. We always do.

“We train for all the players to contribute in situations and that’s an improvement that we are working on daily and that’s an improvement that we know we need to make. But I think that’s something that takes time.

“There’s a lot of new players, we are still very early I feel in terms of development of this team where all those things are coming.

“We want all of our players to score goals and contribute and the main point is that we are in positions to win games which we have been.”