Why £40m star can become Leeds’ best striker since Viduka

Dominic Calvert-Lewin entered Leeds United a year ago without much fanfare.

On paper, it looked like a promising signing but the reality was that they were landing an injury-prone centre-forward who Everton were fairly happy to see leave Merseyside.

However, fast forward a year on and Calvert-Lewin has played such a crucial part for Daniel Farke’s side. It is safe to say that without his 14 league goals the Whites would have been relegated.

Alas, Calvert-Lewin put his injury problems to one side, made his way back into the England squad and became one of the best strikers in the division again. It’s funny what a change of scenery can do.

That said, another centre-forward would not go amiss in 2026.

Why Leeds need to sign a new striker

Leeds have been here before. Let us cast your mind back to the start of the decade.

As Leeds played out their first Premier League campaign in nearly 20 years, Patrick Bamford scored 17 goals in 38 matches for the club. It was an eerily similar season to Calvert-Lewin’s.

However, everything quick went down hill for the Chelsea youth graduate after that. In 2021/22, Bamford scored just twice and then a year later, he bagged only six goals. On that evidence, it was not much of a surprise to see Leeds eventually relegated.

The hope will be here that the same eventuality does not fall upon Calvert-Lewin. It would be a surprise if it did but there is a key lesson here; Leeds must strengthen while they are on the up.

During the Bamford era, they failed to do so sufficiently. The £27m signing of Rodrigo flattered to deceive. The less said about the Jean-Kevin Augustin saga the better, while Georginio Rutter’s club-record £35.5m arrival also failed to do little to inspire a top-flight Leeds team.

It would be safe to say that it is a long time since the likes of Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink and Mark Viduka were banging in the goals for a side who were Premier League regulars either side of the new millenium.

In all honesty, Calvert-Lewin feels like their best striker since that era. It’s lofty praise but his all-round game and pedigree is certainly better than Bamford’s, however much of a cult hero he is at Elland Road.

Yet, his failure to consistently perform in the top-flight must be a message to the 49ers group; they need another striker this summer.

How Leeds can solve their striker conundrum

Calvert-Lewin sadly missed out on England’s World Cup but he will be back with a vengeance in 2026/27, aiming to improve upon the output Bamford gave Leeds after their first season back in the big time.

There is a confidence that the former Everton man will be able to continue banging in the goals but that does not mean they shouldn’t sign a new striker. After all, for much of the second half of the season, Farke actually operated with a two-prong attack with Calvert-Lewin alongside either Lukas Nmecha or Noah Okafor.

Nmecha proved to be a handy addition on a free transfer. He scored six goals in the league last season. Okafor was also in phenomenal touch by the time the campaign ended.

That said, there is a feeling they need someone more prolific and in American, Folarin Balogun, they could find just that.

Balogun was, of course, at the centre of that great controversy at the World Cup. Sent off in the USA’s last 32 tie, he should have been banned for their last 16 clash with Belgium but a call from Donald Trump to Gianni Infantino meant he was able to play.

That said, the striker’s tournament was about much more than that moment. He scored three goals in five games and was one of the breakout stars of the competition. As a result, it is hardly a surprise to see that a number of clubs have registered their interest in the forward. Leeds, Nottingham Forest, Sunderland and Everton are all vying for the attacker’s signature according to TEAMtalk. It could cost £40m to sign him.

So, what would make him such a good acquisition? Well, this is a player who is improving and developing all the time. He’s quietly one of the most underrated strikers in Europe’s top five leagues right now.

Balogun was once on the books of Arsenal but after seeing his pathway blocked by more senior professionals, decided his future lay in France. A 22-goal loan spell for Reims in Ligue 1 ultimately saw him earn a move to Monaco.

Things started slowly in the principality for the USMNT star, netting just 12 goals across his first two campaigns. However, in 2025/26, he came alive again, scoring 19 goals in all competitions.

Blessed with pace, clever movement, strong ball control and a physical presence, he’s a particularly tricky forward to deal with and after a really impressive World Cup where he was devastating in front of goal, it feels like Balogun is ready to explode in the Premier League, something he was never afforded the luxury of doing at Arsenal.

While there may well be worries about whether his form in France could translate into English football, the simple fact is that Leeds have arguably not had a striker so prolific at the elite level since those days of Hasselbaink and Viduka. For the Yorkshire side, the Aussie netted 72 times in 166 outings. He is an icon at Elland Road.

He was famed for his exceptional strength and hold up play, and while Balogun is different in style – he’s more of a run in behind type of player – there is a reason Leeds want him. Those 19 and 22 goal seasons prove he can be one of the most prolific strikers on the continent when he’s in form.

The American is so clinical and he’s got more dynamism to his game than Calvert-Lewin. Together, however, they could be quite the combination.