Leeds United have flexed their ambition in the transfer market this summer with a string of eye-catching deals that are either completed or in the process of being completed.
James Trafford is closing in on a club-record £40m move to Elland Road from Manchester City to be their new number one goalkeeper, replacing Karl Darlow after he left at the start of last month.
He is set to join Harry Wilson and £34m signing Tarik Muharemovic in adding more quality to Daniel Farke‘s squad after the Whites finished 14th in the Premier League last term.
The West Yorkshire outfit will be looking to kick on and push higher up the table next season, and Wilson may be the most influential of the signings yet when it comes to that goal.
Harry Wilson’s most underrated attribute
The Wales international arrived as a marquee signing for Leeds last month when he joined on a free transfer from Fulham, as supporters got excited about the prospect of watching him at Elland Road.=
His ability to score impressive goals has stood out to fans after he scored ten goals from 5.83 xG and only missed one ‘big chance’ in the Premier League for the Cottagers last season.
Because of how eye-catching his goalscoring exploits were for Fulham, Wilson’s ability to create chances for his teammates may be his most underrated attribute ahead of his debut campaign with Leeds.
|
25/26 Premier League |
Wilson |
Rank vs RWs |
|---|---|---|
|
Successful crosses |
32 |
Top 9% |
|
Big chances created |
8 |
Top 22% |
|
Chances created |
39 |
Top 21% |
|
Cross accuracy |
27.8% |
Top 23% |
|
xA |
4.78 |
Top 15% |
|
Assists |
7 |
Top 5% |
The Welsh star ranked highly among his positional peers in a host of creative metrics for Marco Silva’s side in the 2025/26 campaign, racking up more assists than any Leeds player managed in the division.
None of Farke’s players produced more than five assists in the Premier League, which suggests that Wilson could be the manager’s most creative outlet at the top end of the pitch.
Why Wilson could be perfect for £17m Leeds target
Now, the club are looking to bring in a player who could really benefit from the kind of creativity that the former Liverpool winger can provide on the flank.
Football Insider reports that Leeds United are interested in a deal to sign Burnley centre-forward Zian Flemming before the end of the summer transfer window.
The outlet claims that the 49es are ramping up their pursuit of the Dutch striker in their efforts to add more competition in the number nine position, noting that Lukas Nmecha and Joel Piroe struggled last term.
It does not outline how much the Clarets are set to demand for the former Millwall attacker, but reports earlier in the summer suggested that it would take a fee of around £17m to convince them to part ways with him.
If the Whites can get a deal over the line for the Dutchman in the coming days or weeks, Flemming could strike up an exciting relationship with Wilson in the final third at Elland Road.
The 28-year-old attacker’s form in the Premier League for Burnley last season suggests that he has the finishing quality to thrive on the kind of service that the Welshman can provide.
|
25/26 Premier League |
Flemming |
Rank vs CFs |
|---|---|---|
|
xG |
7.87 |
Top 33% |
|
Shots |
53 |
Top 31% |
|
Non-penalty xG |
6.30 |
Top 35% |
|
Touches |
589 |
Top 41% |
|
Touches in opposition’s box |
71 |
Top 49% |
|
Goals |
11 |
Top 25% |
His rank among fellow strikers for goals in comparison to xG, shots, and touches shows that he is an exceptional finisher who does not need much of the ball to be effective in the penalty box.
Burnley did not provide him with a constant supply of touches and chances because they were a struggling team who eventually got relegated to the Championship, but Leeds could offer him a better platform to display his quality.
Flemming outperformed his xG and proved that he can be a clinical player at Premier League level, which suggests that he would explode at Elland Road if provided with the kind of creativity that Wilson showed for Fulham.
If the Welshman is able to consistently create high-quality chances with crosses and passes into the box, the £17m-rated star could be a reliable and consistent goalscorer for the Whites with his finishing ability.
Flemming, who also scored 12 goals from 9.05 xG in the 2024/25 Championship season, could be the signing that Farke needs to ensure that Dominic Calvert-Lewin has competition for his place, whilst also giving Wilson a clinical striker to make the most of his creativity.
