Even better than James: 49ers line up move to sign Viduka 2.0 for Leeds
Leeds United left it late on the final day of the Championship season but Manor Solomon’s dramatic strike right at the death would secure Daniel Farke’s men the title.
Amazingly, both the Whites and their nearest competitors in Burnley would end their mightily impressive campaigns on 100 points each, but Leeds’ sturdy goal difference would hand the esteemed honours over to Farke and Co, instead of more party celebrations taking place at Turf Moor.
But, as much as the West Yorkshire titans have been able to blow teams away with ease in the second tier, the Premier League is a different kettle of fish altogether.
Therefore, some potential attacking recruits are now being linked with a switch to Elland Road to help navigate the tricky step-up in quality.
Leeds’ list of attacking targets
Already, Leeds have been linked with a whole host of new faces up top, with reports suggesting that the newly crowned champions might look to snap up Omari Hutchinson from recently relegated Ipswich Town.
Moreover, other rumours indicate that Leeds are intrigued by the prospect of bringing AZ Alkmaar goal machine Troy Parrott back to England, meaning the striker department would also be given a potential facelift.
Yet, there’s one name that sticks out as a top buy away from both Hutchinson and Parrott, with TBR Football revealing that Farke and Co are looking at a number of targets from Celtic, including Hoops attacking hotshot Nicolas Kuhn.
The Whites have had success when shopping from the Glasgow giants in the past, with Whites legend Mark Viduka once plying for his trade for the Scottish titans before becoming a fan’s favourite at Leeds. So, there’s clearly a proven recipe for success right here.
How Kuhn could be even better than James
If Kuhn can lift his game to be on the same level as Viduka’s – who would score a colossal 72 strikes for Leeds – he would further go down as a more impressive winger than Dan James over time, even with the Welshman fresh off just winning the Whites’ Player of the Year accolade.
James should be commended for how he’s managed to turn around his up-and-down stay at Elland Road, with the ex-Manchester United attacker undoubtedly a top-drawer talent in the EFL having previously struggled in the top-flight.
Indeed, the blistering number seven has tallied up a sizeable 41 goal contributions in league action over the last two seasons, but there will be a concern in the air lingering that the 56-time Wales international isn’t cut out for the bright lights of the Premier League.
Indeed, his best tally for a campaign up a division currently sits at a mere four goals and five assists.
On the flip side, Kuhn has proven again and again for Brendan Rodgers’ men – albeit in a far less strenuous top division in the Scottish Premiership – that he can dazzle defences under immense pressure. He’s even scored in the Champions League.
Staggeringly, across all competitions this campaign, including on Europe’s grandest stage, the German forward has amassed a bumper 34 goals and assists from 47 clashes, with a chance in the Premier League to come a deserved next step for the former RB Leipzig winger.
Kuhn’s numbers this season by competition (24/25) |
|||
---|---|---|---|
Competition |
Games |
Goals |
Assists |
SPL |
29 |
12 |
8 |
Champions League |
10 |
3 |
1 |
SFA Cup |
4 |
0 |
1 |
League Cup |
4 |
5 |
4 |
Sourced by Transfermarkt |
In contrast, James accumulated a lesser 21 from ten fewer clashes, meaning he could take a back-seat now down the right flank for the “breathtaking” winger, as he’s been lauded in the past by pundit Marvin Bartley, to take over.
Obviously, it isn’t set in stone that Kuhn will be able to instantly acclimatise to the pressures of the Premier League, but history might well repeat itself here, especially if the Hoops number 10 can prove he belongs at the daunting level like Viduka before him.

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