‘Leeds facing Rodrigo Muniz deadline as transfer race explodes’
Leeds United are facing a race against time if they’re to land the signing of Rodrigo Muniz from Fulham.
The Whites are preparing for life back in the Premier League after winning the Championship with 100 points and a league-high 95 goals scored — at least 24 more than any other team.
But despite their attacking prowess, Daniel Farke is on the lookout for a new striker.
Both Mateo Joseph and Patrick Bamford look set to leave the club this summer, while the last six promoted teams have been relegated straight back to the Championship — meaning Leeds will be painfully aware of the high standards they need to meet to survive.
Rodrigo Muniz is Leeds’ top striker target
Rodrigo Muniz has been the name most often rumoured to fill Leeds’ centre-forward role next season.
The Brazilian has developed into a solid goalscorer in recent years, netting 21 goals across the last two Premier League seasons combined.
However, Muniz has just one year remaining on his Fulham contract, and with competition already coming from Raul Jimenez — who scored 12 Premier League goals last season — Marco Silva also seems set on adding a new No.9 to the mix this summer.
| Fulham stats | Rodrigo Muniz |
| Appearances | 97 |
| Goals | 26 |
| Assists | 3 |
All of that made Muniz look like a budget-friendly option to come into Farke’s side, while retaining a proven track record in receord in the Premier League.
But there’s a twist.
Leeds face Muniz deadline as Atalanta enter the race
According to BBC Sport, Atalanta have now entered the race for Muniz.
The Italian side are preparing for another season in the Champions League after finishing third in Serie A, but are now frantically hunting for a new striker after top scorer Mateo Retegui left for Saudi side Al Qadasiya this summer.
Retegui was the Serie A top scorer last season with 25 goals and leaves a huge hole in Ivan Juric’s attack.
Atalanta initially tried to plug that gap with a bid of just over £30million for Jean-Philippe Mateta.
However, Crystal Palace have rejected that offer, despite Mateta having just two years left on his deal.
It’s unclear whether or not Atalanta will push again for the Frenchman, but it has emerged that Muniz is among their list of alternative options if they’re unsuccessful in signing Mateta.
With that in mind, Leeds can ill-afford to wait around, lest they find themselves scrambling late in the window for a striker to spearhead their Premier League return.