According to Phil Hay from the Yorkshire Evening Post, Leeds United were interested in signing Ashley Fetcher, but missed out on a deal to Sky Bet Championship rivals, Middlesbrough.

Reports suggested that Leeds were interested in signing Fletcher on a season-long loan from West Ham United, and now the YEP have confirmed that the Championship club were keen.

However, Middlesbrough jumped ahead of a host of clubs, landing the striker on a permanent deal and paying West Ham £6.5m for his service.

Despite Leeds missing out on Fletcher, they are still in the market for another striker ahead of the 2017/18 campaign, as Thomas Christiansen adds the final touches to his squad.

Last season, Chris Wood scored 30 goals across all competitions for Leeds, but the club’s next highest goalscorer managed to find the net on just six occasions.

Christiansen has already moved to add more attacking quality to his squad, with Ezgjan Alioski and Samuel Saiz standout additions.

Leeds have also been linked with a move for Valencia’s Alvaro Negredo, but the YEP understand that there is no chance of the Spanish striker arriving at Elland Road, due to the cost of any potential deal.

Leeds begin their Championship campaign on Sunday afternoon, when they face Bolton Wanderers at the Macron Stadium.

The Verdict

Whilst Leeds will be disappointed to miss out on Fletcher, many of their supporters will be pleased to see their club not spending £6.5m on a largely unproven player.

There is certainly the need for another proven striker to support Wood at Elland Road, but Leeds need to be careful with who they recruit, avoiding any possibility of unsettling the New Zealand international, who was in the form of his life last season.

Some fans will also argue that a striker should not be prioritised by Leeds, with the Whites in desperate need of defensive reinforcements.

Leeds fans… Let us know your thoughts!