Leeds are yet to see much return from their £100m summer spending spree on ten new signings.
£18m man Noah Okafor only has two goals in eight Premier League games, while £17.4m signing Anton Stach has struggled with a broken rib and finger in his early days at Elland Road.
Furthermore, while Dominic Calvert-Lewin was a free transfer, he is also yet to convince with only one goal in nine league outings, and the situation has now been made worse as Ben Jacobs reveals the England international was picked ahead of Troy Parrott.
Ben Jacobs claims Leeds United opted for Dominic Calvert-Lewin instead of pushing for Troy Parrott
Leeds remain interested in Parrott as he sits on 18 goals in 18 appearances for club and country this season, but they could have signed the Irishman for around €15m (£13m) in the summer.
Jacobs told Give Me Sport: “Leeds (are) a very interesting team to watch (in the race to sign Parrott).
“In the end they went for Calvert-Lewin, but sources have told me that Leeds considered making a bid for Parrott for about €15m (£13m). Now his price is double that, nobody will get Parrott for £13m.
“Fulham and West Ham are two others that have discussed Parrott – I think Fulham may be the more likely of the two to make a move.”
These comments suggest Leeds took the easier option instead of pushing to lure the Republic of Ireland international away from AZ Alkmaar, a decision which has now come back to bite as the Dubliner rises to stardom.
Parrott has even been compared to Pele as he finds fame this season, reinforcing the fact Leeds made a massive mistake in choosing not to pursue his signature last summer.
Which position do Leeds United need to strengthen most in January?
Explain why!
Leeds United took the cheap route in a position you cannot afford to skimp on
Leeds signed two strikers during the summer window in Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha, with both arriving on free transfers.
It should therefore come as no surprise to see the duo amass just three goals between themselves as we near December.
A reliable frontman is arguably the most important position for any newly-promoted side, but unfortunately, Leeds tried to find one without being prepared to invest heavily.
Only Wolves – who sit rock bottom on two points – have scored fewer goals than Leeds’ tally of ten in the Premier League so far this season, and if this situation fails to improve, the 49ers will have nobody but themselves to blame for taking the cheap route.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 16 |  LeedsLeeds | 11 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 10 | 20 | -10 | 11 |
| 17 |  BurnleyBurnley | 11 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 14 | 22 | -8 | 10 |
| 18 |  West HamWest Ham | 11 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 13 | 23 | -10 | 10 |
| 19 |  Nottingham ForestNottingham Forest | 11 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 20 | -10 | 9 |
| 20 |  WolvesWolves | 11 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 7 | 25 | -18 | 2 |
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