Why Leeds should spend £21m to sign a more prolific star than Calvert-Lewin

Leeds United are closing in on a deal to make James Trafford their club-record signing in a move that is set to be worth more than £40m this week.

The Manchester City goalkeeper is expected to replace Karl Darlow as Daniel Farke’s number one for the upcoming Premier League season, after the Welshman’s contract expired at the start of the month.

After the England international officially completes his move to Elland Road, the 49ers may turn their attention to adding more quality to their ranks at the top end of the pitch.

The Whites could look to reinforce their squad with another option in the centre-forward position to provide Dominic Calvert-Lewin with more competition for his place.

Why Leeds need competition for Dominic Calvert-Lewin

Farke needs more competition for the England international because Lukas Nmecha did not do enough to suggest that he could start a run of matches in the Premier League and be effective.

The German striker provided quality off the bench at tuimes, scoring six goals in total, but he only scored four non-penalty goals in 31 appearances in the top-flight last term.

Calvert-Lewin was far more effective for the West Yorkshire outfit in the number nine role, scoring seven more non-penalty goals and winning 3.1 more duels per game in the Premier League.

The former Everton striker is not going to be challenged by Nmecha for his place in the side, based on their respective performances last season, but they did both underperform as finishers.

Their underperformance in front of goal suggests that it is worth exploring the possibility of bringing in another centre-forward who could offer more quality in the final third as a finisher, to make the most of the chances that the team creates.

How Leeds could sign a Calvert-Lewin upgrade

Now, the club are already looking at a player who could arrive at Elland Road as the challenger to Calvert-Lewin that they need for their squad next term.

Yorkshire Evening Post reporter Graham Smyth has revealed that Leeds United have identified Levante number nine Carlos Espi as a new target for the summer transfer window.

The journalist claims that the Spanish centre-forward is one of a number of players on the club’s shortlist, but they have yet to enter talks or make a bid to secure his services.

Reports on the continent recently revealed that the 21-year-old attacker has a €25m (£21m) release clause in his contract with the Spanish side, which shows the kind of fee that the Whites would have to pay for him.

The 49ers should seriously consider pursuing a deal for the Spanish star after they complete the Trafford deal, because he could be the perfect signing to come in and challenge Calvert-Lewin for his position.

Espi’s form in the 2025/26 campaign for Levante in LaLiga suggests that he has the quality and potential to be even more prolific than the English marksman at Elland Road.

The Spain U20 international was far more clinical at league level last season with a return of 11 goals from just 7.58 xG, whilst Calvert-Lewin underperformed against his xG by almost two goals.

Espi needed fewer minutes and lower quality chances to find the back of the net for Levante in LaLiga than the Englishman needed in the Premier League for Leeds.

What makes the Spaniard’s goal record even more impressive is that he did not need a single penalty to reach 11 goals, matching Calvert-Lewin’s return of non-penalty goals 1376 fewer minutes at league level.

Espi, who scored six goals in LaLiga 2 in the 2024/25 campaign, proved that he can deliver quality on a consistent basis in one of Europe’s major leagues, which is why he would be such an exciting addition to Farke’s squad as a challenger for the number nine role.

At the age of 21, he could be the long-term successor to Calvert-Lewin up front for the Whites, whilst also having the potential to take his place in the immediate term, as he is even more prolific than the ex-Everton man.

That is why the board should be making moves to bring him to Elland Road in the coming weeks before the transfer window slams shut in September.

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