Leeds United are reportedly competing for the signature Hannover 96 striker Charlison Benschop with the likes of SC Heerenveen, Fortuna Düsseldorf, and Japan’s Yokohama City.
Heerenveen and Leeds United interested in Benschop https://t.co/YfPhYlHioL pic.twitter.com/B5jpzbar81
— Football-Oranje.com (@FootballOranje_) January 9, 2018
Benschop is a 28 year-old former Netherlands U20 international who’s played one match at the senior level for Curaçao and is a journeyman striker who has bounced around the 2.Bundesliga, the Eredivisie, Ligue 1, and the Jupiler League in Belgium.
His goal-scoring record at anything other than Germany’s second division leaves a lot to be desired. He’s been on the books at Hannover 96 for the past two and half seasons, scoring a total of two goals in 16 matches of league play, although he did score one goal in five appearances for the Hanover reserves this season. In fairness to him, it sounds like he’s struggled with injuries over the past few seasons.
The highlight of his career came with German second division side Fortuna Düsseldorf, where he scored 13 goals in 30 league appearances in 2014-15 and scored 12 goals in 28 appearances in 2012-13 after joining from Ligue 1 side Stade Brest.
With the number of clubs listed, this appears to be purely agent speculation, or at least I hope this just a daft rumour. Leeds United need a real replacement up top for Chris Wood, not a 28 year old journeyman striker who’s been injured for the past two and a half years.
Leeds United’s move for Pierre-Michel Lasogga was a wise gamble, taking a player on loan who seemed to have fallen out with the club, but had a pretty outstanding past striking record. And while the jury’s still out on that signing, this would barely qualify as finding a “diamond in the rough.”
If this rumour does come to fruition, I will dislike it greatly. I know that English talent is overpriced, and taking fliers on young talent can work out, but this would be a bad move. Overpay for Marriott or a proven Premier League and/or Championship striker, but don’t grab a washed-up striker from the Bundesliga. This is too important.