Video: Leeds United close to agreeing deal for Nigerian striker

LEEDS UNITED are close to agreeing a deal to bring Carpi forward Jerry Mbakogu to Elland Road in the summer '“ but head coach Thomas Christiansen today played down the prospect of more signings arriving before Wednesday's transfer deadline.
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Leeds have targeted Nigerian Mbakogu with a view to bringing the 25-year-old to England from Italy’s Serie B at the end of this season but United look unlikely to add another forward to their squad in this window, with FIFA’s January deadline set to pass in little over 48 hours’ time.

United have made two additions to their first-team squad this month, taking left-back Laurens De Bock in a £1.5m move from Club Brugge and paying £3m up front to secure midfielder Adam Forshaw from Middlesbrough.

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The club also finalised the £500,000 arrival of Japan international Yosuke Ideguchi from Gamba Osaka but immediately sent the midfielder on loan to Spanish second division club Cultural Leonesa. Leeds keen to allow Ideguchi to acclimatise to European football elsewhere rather than throw him into their Championship campaign.

United are now looking to set up the purchase of Mbakogu - valued at around £3.5m by Carpi - but do not intend to formally conclude the deal until the season finishes. Carpi, where Mbakogu has scored six league goals in 18 appearances this term, are in the running for promotion from Serie B and reluctant to lose him midway through their campaign.

Leeds have faced calls to sign a new striker throughout the January window but asked if he thought players would arrive before Wednesday’s 11pm deadline, Christiansen said: “I don’t think so but you never know.

“You have to speak to Victor (Orta, Leeds’ director of football) about that. Victor and the board make the decisions about what is possible. Of course I get the information when they have found one but right now this is the situation.”

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Leeds’ choice of strikers was hit last month by Caleb Ekuban suffering a fractured foot, leaving Pierre-Michel Lasogga, Kemar Roofe and Jay-Roy Grot as options to play up front in Christiansen’s 4-2-3-1 system.

Leeds United head coach, Thomas Christiansen.Leeds United head coach, Thomas Christiansen.
Leeds United head coach, Thomas Christiansen.

Lasogga and Roofe shared United’s goals in a 4-3 defeat to Millwall last weekend, with Lasogga scoring twice and finding the net for the first time since October.

Christiansen said: “I would always like to have players who can make the squad better but as I said several times, it’s a difficult moment, especially in the winter market, to sign players. If there had been possibilities then they (the club) would have tried.”

Sunderland, meanwhile, remain interested in United’s second-choice goalkeeper Andy Lonergan but Lonergan will travel with Christiansen’s squad ahead of tomorrow’s Championship clash with Hull City.