Leeds United are reportedly interested in signing Italy sensation Mateo Retegui this summer and his potential arrival at Elland Road could see Patrick Bamford finally leave.
Could Leeds sign Mateo Retegui?
According to Italian news outlet Area Napoli, Leeds are one of the sides showing an interest in the 23-year-old ahead of the summer transfer window but could face competition from both Milan clubs and Eintracht Frankfurt for his signature.
The Argentine-born striker, who qualifies for Italy through his maternal grandfather, has enjoyed an impressive campaign at club level, contributing seven goals in just nine league appearances for Tigre, having joined them on loan from Boca Juniors for the season.
This has led to him earning a strong 7.11 rating from WhoScored for his performances in Argentina's top flight, while he has a 7.07 rating in the European Championship after scoring in both of Italy's games in the recent international break, including once in the 2-1 defeat against England.
The forward also spent the 2022 season on loan with Tigre, crashing in 23 goals in 42 appearances in all competitions, so it is easy to see why he earned the call-up to Roberto Mancini's side recently, which has clearly attracted the interest of clubs across Europe.
2006 World Cup-winning manager Marcelo Lippi was full of praise for the Boca Juniors star on Super Deportivo Radio after his performances during the international break, outlining attributes that should come as music to the ears of everyone associated with Leeds.
He said (via FC Inter News): "He’s the classic centre-forward who scores. He has a strong header. I like how he plays in the box, that’s why I think he’s a good striker.”
It does seem that Retegui's future lies away from Argentina and if Leeds do sign him this summer, it would surely see one of the strikers at Elland Road leave, with Bamford a prime candidate given he has just two goals in the Premier League so far this term.
How has Bamford played this season?
This campaign has been an extremely underwhelming one for Bamford, with the former Chelsea man once again failing to live up to the performances he showed under Marcelo Bielsa in the top-flight, when he managed 17 goals.
Not only has the 29-year-old only bagged twice in 2022/23, but he has massively underperformed his xG by nearly five, and that could be the difference between safety and relegation in what is an extremely tight battle to avoid the drop.
Considering Bamford is ranked as the 22nd-best performer in Javi Gracia's squad with a 6.34 average rating according to WhoScored, it seems clear that he cannot be considered a reliable long-term option at Elland Road.
Retegui has also averaged more shots (3.9 vs 1.7), key passes (0.6 vs 0.5) and dribbles (0.4 vs 0.2) per game than Bamford, outlining him as a better all-rounder in attack.
As such, it is evident that the Italy star could be a big upgrade on the struggling Leeds star this summer.