Leeds United: Mateo Joseph urged to fix "same issue Patrick Bamford had under Marcelo Bielsa" | OneFootball

FLW's Leeds fan pundit has tipped the Spanish forward to become a top-level striker in the years to come

Leeds United have a track record of developing players into strong and consistent performers over the years.

Recent examples of this include the homegrown, local talent of Kalvin Phillips, who progressed through the academy ranks at Elland Road, before becoming an integral figure under Marcelo Bielsa, before being sold to Manchester City for a reported £45m fee back in the summer of 2022.

Leeds also played a key role in the development of Arsenal's Ben White during a loan spell from Brighton and Hove Albion in the club's title-winning season of 2019/20, with the defender securing the club's Young Player of the Year award for a number of standout performances at such a young age.

Of course, given United's current situation in the Championship promotion race under Daniel Farke, many will hope to follow in the footsteps of those two and create their own legacy in West Yorkshire.

Therefore, Football League World asked our resident Leeds fan pundit, Kris Smith, which young player within the current squad is the most exciting, and how strong their potential is.

Smith believes that out of the current crop, Spanish striker Mateo Joseph is the one player which excites both him and the vast majority of Leeds fans.

After signing from Espanyol as an 18-year-old in January 2022, the forward was handed his breakthrough season by Farke last term as Leeds looked for a first-time promotion back to the Premier League.

The six-time Spanish youth international was rewarded for his rapid development with a new four-and-a-half year contract extension in January, before making a name for himself by netting his first two goals for the club in a 3-2 defeat away to Chelsea in the FA Cup.

Joseph has now edged in front of the experienced Patrick Bamford in the pecking order in LS11, but Smith has drawn a comparison between the two, highlighting where the 21-year-old can improve in order to fulfill his potential.

"Everyone thought Mateo Joseph was primed for a breakout season this year, after his emergence under Farke last season," he began. "Obviously, scoring that brace against Chelsea among other good performances off the bench."

"So far though, it's been a bit of a slow burner for him. He's got his chances in the starting XI. But, a lot of the time, he's just slugging through a lot of Championship games, doing the ugly stuff, but not scoring the goals that the fans are craving," Smith added.

"With that, there's so much of his game that's worthy of real admiration I think," he stated. "He can hold the ball up well, he runs the channels, feeds off a lot of scraps, beats his man well if he's got it at his feet, goes for aerial duels and wins a lot of them, and forces knockdowns as well."

"I think the only thing he's lacking, to be truly appreciated by Leeds fans, is that killer touch in the penalty area, to really establish himself as one of the best forwards in the division," Smith continued.

"Once he starts getting the goals, everyone will start to appreciate everything else he does in this team."

"It's the same issue Patrick Bamford had under Marcelo Bielsa," our fan pundit pointed out. "With Joseph being a lot younger, he should get that leeway to grow into the role."

"I do think the goalscoring form will come for him, with a lot of time and patience from Farke and the fans, and when that does happen, you're looking at an incredible young striker who will be firing them in, in the Premier League," he concluded.

Last season saw Joseph make 20 substitute appearances for Leeds, and having surpassed that number of appearances already this campaign, featuring in every game - 10 of which have come from the off - it's clear how highly he is rated by Farke.

However, as Smith alluded to, the Santander-born striker has lacked a cutting edge in his game thus far, netting just two goals against Hull City and Sheffield United, whilst also recording three assists against Sheffield Wednesday and Cardiff City.

Joseph has got into the right areas on several occasions, but has been guilty of missing five big chances so far this season, as well as underperforming his xG by a total of 1.54.

There is much to like about the forward's work which has largely gone unnoticed, especially when factoring in that, across his 21 appearances, Joseph has averaged just 18.8 touches, but managed to accumulate three assists, create four big chances and play 0.5 key passes per 90.

But, in Leeds' predicament, they will need the centre-forward to improve his goal count in the remaining months of the season, with the side's 37 strikes so far spread out among the squad, as Joel Piroe leads the way with seven to his name.

This would see United supporters and onlookers take notice of how bright a future Joseph has if he is to become more clinical, with all of his other attributes already there to see.