Leeds United’s hopes of signing Rodrigo Muniz might fade soon enough with high-profile interest from clubs higher up likely to intensify, while Fulham’s stance is clear too.
A striker is a vital addition for Leeds between now and deadline day, and if that arrival comes sooner, then that’s far better for Daniel Farke.
The identities on Leeds’ shortlist for the position aren’t public knowledge of course, but Rodrigo Muniz is firmly top of the priorities, should United be capable of striking a deal.
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Leeds United facing Atalanta and possible Newcastle United competition for Rodrigo Muniz
Muniz interest is strong from Leeds this summer, opening up with a £32million offer back in June and seemingly not being back in since.
As the Cottagers rejected that bid, it begs the question of how high Leeds need to go for the Brazilian, and how attainable he actually is – as players commanding such a fee are likely to garner interest from clubs higher up the food chain too.
(Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs)
Enter Atalanta, who have been revealed in the past few days to be keen on signing Muniz as a replacement for Mateo Retegui, who left for Saudi Arabia in a £56million deal.
Another club that are quite notably in the hunt for a striker and are being turned down routinely are Newcastle United, who have also been linked with a move for Muniz, who could be their fall-back option after attempts for Benjamin Sesko look to have come up short despite offering more money than Manchester United.
Should Leeds wish to up their bid for Muniz, they will now be forced to compete with other clubs boasting much greater budgets for him.
Fulham unveil new away kit with Rodrigo Muniz involved in promotion
The Cottagers’ intentions seem clear that they won’t be letting Muniz go without receiving a mammoth offer for his services, given their current striker pool is him and an ageing Raul Jimenez in the final 12 months of his deal.
As Marco Silva’s side prepare for the new campaign, they have unveiled their new away strip for the 25/26 season, with Muniz featuring in the promo:
It’s worth noting that it’s common for clubs to publish these promotion images only for players to leave the club before the end of the window, with Adidas organising these photoshoots well in advance.
Do Leeds United need to move on from Rodrigo Muniz?
It’s a tough spot that Leeds find themselves in regarding their attacker search, and it has parallels to Newcastle’s current struggles.
Now that Leeds are in the top flight, our ability to lure better players is obvious, but we’re now shopping in a talent pool that has much bigger fish than us in it, which means we can get muscled out of the way – see Igor Paixao to Marseille.
Muniz would be an incredible signing in our position, but would also be a good signing for clubs in better positions, such as Atalanta or Newcastle.
Fulham knowing there’s multiple vying for his signature might lead to a bidding war that Leeds won’t have much chance of winning.
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!