Leeds United are interested in a move for Barnsley striker Cauley Woodrow, a report from a print edition of The Sun on Sunday (05/01, p61) has claimed.

Despite their position at the top of the Championship table, Marcelo Bielsa's side do need to add to their attacking ranks in January, with Eddie Nketiah's return to parent club Arsenal leaving Patrick Bamford as the club's only centre forward option.

It now seems as though Leeds have identified Woodrow as a potential replacement for Nketiah, with the latest reports claiming that Bielsa himself is an admirer of the 25-year-old.

Woodrow has scored nine goals in 22 league appearances for Barnsley this season, although that hasn't been enough to keep them out of the Championship relegation battle.

The Tykes are currently 23rd in the second-tier standings, three points adrift of safety, which is a far cry from the fight for promotion Woodrow would find himself in if he was to make the move to Elland Road.

It would not however be an altogether unfamiliar situation to Woodrow, who scored 16 goals as Barnsley won promotion from League One at the first time of asking last season.

There are currently two and a half years remaining on Woodrow's contract with Barnsley, securing his future at Oakwell until the summer of 2022.

The Verdict

I can see why Leeds would be keen on this move.

Even in a side that has struggled for significant parts of the season so far, Woodrow has managed to find goals throughout the course of the campaign, and that is something that could be key for Leeds as they push for promotion in the coming months.

However, it is hard to know whether they will be able to pull such a signing off in this particular transfer window.

Barnsley will be desperate to retain the services of Woodrow as they battle for survival this season, and there will be little pressure on them to sell in the next few weeks, due to the amount of time there is remaining on his contract.