Football
Exclusive: Leeds United Target Derby's Carlton Morris as Solution to Premier League Goal Woes
Leeds United, struggling to score goals, are eyeing a move for Carlton Morris from Derby County. The experienced striker has been in impressive form for Derby, with Leeds hoping to lure him back to the Premier League for a potential pay rise. Morris has a proven track record of scoring goals in the Championship, making him an attractive target for the Whites.
Derby County v Hull City - Sky Bet Championship by Gareth Copley | Getty Images
Goal-shy Leeds United are plotting a move for Carlton Morris six months after he moved to Derby County, SportsBoom can exclusively reveal.
The Whites have struggled for goals since their return to the Premier League and only basement boys Wolverhampton Wanderers (seven) have scored less than Daniel Farke’s side (11).
Farke told promotion hero Patrick Bamford he was surplus to requirements at Elland Road in the summer and replaced him with Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who has scored just once since his arrival.
Morris, 29, knows what it takes to score at the highest level and netted 11 times in 38 games during Luton Town's short-lived return to the top flight two seasons ago.
The striker moved to Championship Derby in the summer following the Hatters second successive relegation.
And he has been on fire for the Rams since joining up with John Eustace at Pride Park.
The prolific hitman has already hit double figures as Derby have soared into play-off contention.
Morris is just six months into a three-year deal at the midlands club and it is understood they will not entertain offers for the player in January.
But Leeds believe they can get their man with the prospect of another shot at Premier League football and a pay rise hopefully enough to turn his head.
Leeds’ scouting focus is clearly on proven goal-scorers, with the Whites also recently linked to Coventry striker Brandon Thomas-Asante. The 25-year-old is currently tied with Carlton Morris on 10 Championship goals, highlighting Leeds’ eye for in-form forwards outside the Premier League.
In addition, the club is set to enter a January battle with Crystal Palace for Chelsea’s Raheem Sterling, who could be available on a cut-price deal, showing that Leeds are exploring both Championship and Premier League options to solve their goal-scoring crisis.
Luton Promotion Hero
Morris spent 15 years at Norwich City and went to seven different clubs on loan before moving to Barnsley in 2021.
He bagged 14 league goals in 51 games for the South Yorkshire outfit before a £1.3million move to Luton was agreed after an 18-month stay at Oakwell.
Morris smashed 20 goals to fire the Hatters back to the Premier League and left the club in the summer having scored 39 league goals in three seasons.
Shane is an experienced sports journalist with over a decade on the front line, covering everything from football to horse racing. A familiar face in the snooker pressroom, his work regularly appears in the Daily Mirror, Daily Express, and Daily Star, alongside SportsBoom.
While snooker is where many readers know him best, cricket is his true sporting passion, though he tends to keep that side of him separate from his professional beat.
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