Why Leeds 25-year-old must secure January loan move to revive career
COMMENT By Will Butcher
Marcus Antonsson must leave Leeds on loan in January in order to reignite the spark that first earned him a £2million summer move to Elland Road.
The 25-year-old has struggled since his arrival in Yorkshire, scoring just three goals in his 18 league and cup appearances.
Now considered the Yorkshire giants’ third-choice striker, the Swede will even find it difficult to make Garry Monk’s matchday squad as top scorer Chris Wood returns from a hamstring injury.
Monk. 37, is even expected to add to his strike force in January, pushing Antonsson even further away from a starting spot in Yorkshire.
Talks have begun over a move for West Ham’s Ashley Fletcher according to the Sun, while a number of other Premier League names have reportedly interesting Leeds.
That could mean the former Kalmar FF forward’s only option to prove to manager Monk that he is worthy of a starting spot will be to leave Leeds and gain regular first-team football elsewhere in January.
Despite scoring a well-timed diving header in Monk’s first Championship win as Leeds boss in the 2-0 victory against Sheffield Wednesday, Antonsson has failed to make the grade.
His eye-catching form in Sweden, which saw him score 22 times in 40 starts has not been replicated with the Championship’s defences proving more physical and sturdy compared to Sweden’s top tier.
Leeds’ number 10 has failed to deal with the rigours of England’s second division, and should consider a move back to his home country to become the prolific forward that Leeds wanted.
However, a temporary move in the Championship or League One in England should also be considered by Leeds and Antonsson in order to gain more experience on these shores.
In other Leeds transfer news, here is an update on the pursuit of this £3.6million-rated defender from a reliable journalist.