Jesse Marsch confirms past Leeds United interest in £17.5m striker who joined Premier League relegation rivals

Jesse Marsch has claimed Leeds United were exploring a potential move for Taiwo Awoniyi before he joined Premier League relegation rivals Nottingham Forest.

Awoniyi has been excellent for Forest since joining them from Union Berlin in the summer of 2022. The Nigerian striker cost £17.5million - a club record for the Premier League side - and penned a five-year deal.

The 24-year-old scored 10 Premier League goals for Forest last season and was crucial to their survival, enjoying an incredible run of six goals in four games through May. That was the kind of form Leeds could have done with all season and, in his latest media appearance, Marsch insists Awoniyi could well have been a Whites player.

The former Leeds coach was on punditry duty for the Monday Night Football clash between Everton and Crystal Palace, with both he and Jamie Carragher analysing Awoniyi's excellent goal against West Ham over the weekend.

“Yeah, we looked at him for Leeds, and he came from the Bundesliga as well," Marsch told Sky Sports of the striker. "Good player. Technically very good, strong, fast, great touch there.”

That summer of 2022 was Marsch's first transfer window as Leeds manager and the American invested heavily in what looked like a promising playing squad. That window saw Brenden Aaronson, Luis Sinisterra, Tyler Adams, Rasmus Kristensen, Marc Roca and Wilfried Gnonto all arrive - albeit only the latter remains in West Yorkshire.

Marsch was unable to build on securing Premier League survival in the previous campaign and despite a strong start to the 2022/23 season, had Leeds floating dangerously close to the relegation zone before being sacked in February - just days after he sanctioned the arrivals of Max Wober, Weston McKennie and Georginio Rutter.

Awoniyi has gone on to score another six Premier League goals so far this season for Forest, who look set to beat the drop once again. Leeds will hope to join them in the top-flight.