Leeds United: Fledgling Dutch forward completes £1,500,000 move to Elland Road

As the club seek to reinforce their attacking ranks following the sale of Chris Wood to Burnley, Leeds United have today confirmed the signing of NEC Nijmegen's 19-year-old striker Jay-Roy Grot.

The Dutch forward, who can also be deployed on the right wing, has acceded to a four-year contract at Elland Road with Leeds paying an undisclosed sum to Jupiler League outfit Nijmegen for his services. Phil Hay, of the Yorkshire Evening Post, has remarked that the fee paid for Grot is believed to have been in the region of £1,500,000.

Furthermore, NEC technical director Remco Oversier has stated that the agreement includes "a fixed transfer fee, a bonus structure and a resale rate (a percentage of any fee received by United should they choose to sell the player in the future)."

Grot will sport the number 11 shirt for Leeds throughout his debut season in English football; the last player to wear that particular number was Souleymane Doukara, who departed for Turkish Super Lig club OsmanlÄ±spor yesterday.

Upon signing for the Whites, Grot commented: "I am very happy, this is such a big club and this is a big step in my career, I am delighted to signed for Leeds United."

Grot made 24 appearances in all competitions for NEC last season, scoring six goals. A hefty, powerful striker, the 6 ft 4 target man had previously been subject to strong interest from Fiorentina earlier in the present transfer window.

Analysis: Leeds move briskly to address striker shortage

This transfer not only serves to ameliorate the dearth of striking options at Elland Road: Leeds have secured the capture of a precocious talent, who will only continue to improve with the aid of regular football, for an inexpensive sum.

While it is improbable that Grot will be a foremost figure in the United side this season, he does provide an alternative dimension and will allow Leeds to vary their means of attack.

The move will likely not be the club's last of the window in relation to strikers, with Middlesbrough's Rudy Gestede and Brighton and Hove Albion's Tomer Hemed having both been linked with United in recent days - it is understood that Leeds have already had a bid for the former rebuffed.

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