Leeds United continue to be linked with their former frontman Chris Wood…
What’s the latest?
Transfer insider Pete O’Rourke has been the latest to give his opinion on the rumours following the reports that emerged from Football Insider at the start of the month.
Despite initial bewilderment, the journalist does admit that it could make sense for the Whites to swoop for him. He told GIVEMESPORT: “Chris Wood had a successful time at Leeds before he eventually moved on to Burnley.
“I still find it a bit strange that maybe they’d be in for Wood, but if they’re looking for proven Premier League experience, he’d tick the boxes for them.”
Their own Giroud
Having signed for a whopping £25m, Wood has often been forced to feature behind Callum Wilson at Newcastle United after his initial barren run following the move.
However, it is easy to forget that he was once an incredibly dependable Premier League striker for a side constantly battling to win survival.
In fact, on many occasions, he matched the tallies of current World Cup hero Olivier Giroud, a man who at 6 foot 4 stands at a similar frame and plays with a comparatively languid yet effective play style.
Currently enjoying a renaissance at AC Milan despite being 36 years old, he was once a consistent source of goals for Arsenal in England.
From 2012 to 2018, he would score 11 Premier League goals or more in every season, culminating in two 16-goal hauls in 2013/14 and 2015/16.
This was for a side that again would finish no lower than sixth during that period, with a second and third-placed finish thrown in there too.
This is incomparable with the 70-cap New Zealand international, who hit double figures for four seasons in a row from 2017 to 2021.
These were campaigns that saw them finish seventh, 15th, tenth and 17th.
Despite the obvious gulf in quality between the teams, Wood maintained a similarly impressive record leading to Peter Crouch dubbing his partnership with Ashley Barnes “first-class”.
This comparison becomes even more impressive given how Giroud has starred at the current World Cup for France, where he boasts four goals in five games, as well as an average rating of 7.32 (via Sofascore).
Having notched his tally with an expected goals (xG) of 3.43 only exacerbates his ruthlessness in front of goal lately, supplemented by a 53% success rate in aerial duels.
There is cause to believe that Wood could achieve a similar renaissance should he move from Tyneside. The 6 foot 3 “beast” – as he was dubbed by Tom Barclay – certainly knew how to get the most from his main asset.
Although it may seem confusing to some, returning to play for an underdog team would suit Wood perfectly. This move could be a match made in heaven for both club and player.