Leeds United respond as £10m offer submitted for attacker | OneFootball

Leeds United have turned down a £10m offer from Real Betis for Mateo Joseph.

Leeds United have turned down an offer of £10m for Mateo Joseph from Real Betis.

There were high hopes for the 21-year-old going into the current campaign, with Daniel Farke giving Joseph a chance to nail down a place in the first XI.

However, whilst it has been an excellent season for Leeds, as they sit top of the Championship, it’s fair to say that Joseph has been inconsistent.

Leeds United reject Mateo Joseph transfer bid

Whilst he has played his part in helping the Whites to the summit, Joseph has managed just three goals in 29 appearances, the latest of which came in the 7-0 hammering of Cardiff City on Saturday.

Yet, it appears Leeds still have full faith in the striker, as The Athletic revealed that the Yorkshire outfit rejected an offer in ‘excess’ of £10m for the Spain U21 international.

The La Liga side appear to have moved on in their pursuit of a striker, as they are now looking to finalise a move for Columbus Crew’s Cucho Hernandez, meaning Joseph will remain at Elland Road.

Leeds United are right to keep Mateo Joseph

It’s hard to imagine that Leeds gave this offer serious consideration at this stage of the window, as the idea of losing a striker would not have been in Farke’s plans.

Joseph’s goal return isn’t great this season, but he is still playing an important role, and, more importantly, he is a young player with huge potential.

At his best, he can be a real threat with his direct approach and his cool finishing, so Leeds will have high hopes that he can kick-on in the years ahead.

In the here and now, it’s all about promotion, and even if Leeds had brought a new striker in, they would surely have kept Joseph.

Joel Piroe is doing well, but Patrick Bamford’s injury record is a massive concern, so he could have a big role to play in the next few months.

Some will be frustrated that the club have failed to sign a new attacker, with the likes of Cameron Archer and Adam Armstrong having been linked, but Leeds’ goalscoring record this season shows they don’t necessarily need any reinforcements.

Farke’s side have found the net 60 times in 30 games, and they have been devastating in the final third on many occasions.

So, it makes sense that they are keeping things as they are, and Joseph will hope that the goal on Saturday can kickstart a good run of form personally, as he will have a chance to contribute to the promotion push this season.