According to South London Press, Leeds United is interested in acquiring AFC Wimbledon striker Ali Al-Hamadi during the January transfer window.
The Iraqi international has been connected to a number of teams, and Daniel Farke’s team is apparently pursuing him in the winter transfer window alongside Sunderland.
Al-Hamadi has had a respectable start to the current campaign for the Dons in League Two, with four goals and five assists in 14 games thus far. He has also found the net against Morecambe in the FA Cup first round. This accomplishment comes after a standout season the previous year, in which he scored 10 in 19 games.
It is hardly surprising that Leeds has added themselves to the list of teams interested in signing the forward given their stellar record.
Will Al-Hamadi prove to be a valuable asset for the Whites, though? We inquired about the opinions of the FLW writers over Al-Hamadi’s decision to replace West Yorkshire with South East London.
If he was to join Leeds now, he wouldn’t get much game time at all with the amount of attacking options Leeds have with Georginio Rutter, Joel Piroe, and Willy Gnoto.
But with reports that Willy Gnonto may be leaving in January, Al-Hamadi would fill in that missing hole left by Gnonto if he were to depart Elland Road in January.
He would be a pretty good replacement as well with given his record over the past two seasons, which shows he is capable of finding the back of the net.
But in the past, so many players have struggled to make that step up to the Championship from League Two with the pace of how it is played, so time will tell whether the Iraq international is fit for purpose.
If Leeds choose to pursue Ali Al-Hamadi, they will need to exercise patience, but there is unquestionably talent there.
Although he has had an incredible season with the Dons since signing in January, it is important to recognize the significant difference between League Two and the Championship.
The 21-year-old has the potential to bridge that gap and perhaps even contribute in the Premier League – assuming Daniel Farke’s side make it back there – but he will need time to develop and adapt.
The good news for the Whites is that they have the depth in their squad to ensure he gets that at the moment.
He can come in, have time to settle, and be an impact player in the second half of 2023/24 – his dynamic style and versatility should make him well suited for that sort of role.
Moving for a player like Al-Hamadi, who might not have the same kind of ceiling but will come much cheaper, would be impressive business, especially with rumors over Willy Gnonto’s future continuing to circulate.
This is the kind of transaction that is worth taking a chance on considering the expected cost.
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