The transfer window opened up earlier this month and Leeds United could be set for a busy few months as they prepare for life in the Championship after three years away from the second tier.
Victor Orta was relieved of his director of football duties in May and manager Sam Allardyce departed at the end of the 2022/23 campaign, which means that the Whites do not have a solid structure in place behind the scenes as they begin this transitional period.
The 49ers have, however, moved to appoint Nick Hammond as an interim advisor over the summer to help with the transfer window before they make a long-term decision on their next sporting director.
Reading's former director of football could secure a sensational deal for the club's next manager by sealing an ambitious swoop for Lens centre-forward Lois Openda, who is a reported transfer target for the now-Championship outfit.
How did Lois Openda perform last season?
The 23-year-old marksman, who would cost at least €30m (£26m), enjoyed a sensational season in Ligue 1 and would be a huge upgrade on current Leeds number nine Patrick Bamford.
Relegation from the Premier League may make a deal for the Belgian whiz unlikely, given that he is currently playing in a major European league, but if Hammond could pull it off then it would be a huge coup ahead of a promotion push next term, whether that is on a permanent deal or with a loan-to-buy strategy to mitigate for a failure to go straight back up.
Openda averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.14 across 38 appearances in Ligue 1 and contributed with an impressive 21 goals. This means that the exciting attacker averaged a strike every 1.8 matches for the French side throughout the campaign.
The Belgium international also showcased his ability to create for others as he racked up 12 'big chances' created for his teammates, which shows that the young dynamo is a consistent goalscorer who can also be unselfish to provide his fellow attackers with quality openings in front of goal.
Bamford, on the other hand, is coming off the back of a bitterly disappointing season in the Premier League with Leeds. The former Chelsea prodigy averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.6 across 28 matches and scored four goals – once every seven outings for the club.
Creativity was also lacking from the English attacker as the 29-year-old dud made one 'big chance' and assisted two goals in that time. This meant that the left-footed liability let his team down as he was unable to provide goals or chance creation on a regular basis.
These statistics indicate that Openda, who was once hailed as "super-fast" by former AS Monaco manager Philippe Clement, would be a huge upgrade on Bamford in terms of both his goal output and his ability to create for others.
Whilst a deal for the Belgian finisher appears unlikely at this moment in time, Hammond could pull off a masterstroke by working out a way to get him to Elland Road ahead of next season.
