Phil Hay has confirmed that Leeds United still see Brentford marksman Ollie Watkins as a striking option this summer, despite the fact that the club are pressing on with their attempt to sign Rodrigo from Valencia.  

Leeds are preparing for life back in the Premier League, but Marcelo Bielsa will have been left frustrated by the lack of fresh faces added to his squad at this moment in time.

The Athletic journalist, Phil Hay, has provided an update today as Victor Orta (the club’s Director of Football) steps up his pursuit of Rodrigo at Valencia, with the Spanish giants clearly open to selling the striker.

Quiz: Do you remember which club Leeds United signed these 15 players from?

However, there is an added line that confirms that Watkins remains an alternative to the high-profile 29-year-old.

Watkins was in electric form for Brentford in the Championship last season, scoring 25 goals during the regular season.

Whilst that wasn’t enough to crash into the automatic promotion places, it did qualify Brentford for the play-offs.

The 24-year-old scored his 26^th goal of the season against Swansea City in the semi-final second-leg, but despite progressing to Wembley, Brentford were unable to take the next step and win promotion.

They lost 2-1 to Fulham after extra time in the national stadium.

The Verdict

This is a key issue for Leeds this summer and it’s no surprise to learn that they have a couple of options lined up. It’s vital they ease the burden on Patrick Bamford in the Premier League.

Of course, Rodrigo and Watkins would both do that, but perhaps the reason they are chasing the former is down to the fact that they’ve made little progress with Watkins.

He was excellent in the Championship last season and it’ll be really interesting to see if he gets a move to the Premier League.

Thoughts? Let us know!