According to the Lancashire Evening Post earlier this month, Preston North End striker Jordan Hugill was the subject of two rejected bids from their Championship rivals Birmingham City.

Brum boss Harry Redknapp has been looking to strengthen his frontline throughout the summer and is obviously keen on the front man, but it remains to be seen whether he will return with a third offer for the 25-year-old after signing Sam Gallagher on loan from Southampton earlier this week.

Meanwhile, Leeds United manager Thomas Christiansen will be searching for a replacement for last season’s top goalscorer Chris Wood before the window slams shut next Thursday, after the New Zealand international completed a £15m move to Burnley on Monday.

The Yorkshire outfit may well have been impressed with the performances of the North End attacker last term and into the current campaign, and may decide to make a move for him in the coming days.

Here are three reasons Leeds should hijack Birmingham’s bid to sign Hugill…

Goals

Thomas Christiansen will be well aware that he needs to try and find a striker that can replace the 27 Championship goals that Wood scored for Leeds last season, and it certainly won’t be an easy task.

However, the Spaniard will have been impressed with the performances of Hugill last season, as he showed his ability to find the net regularly by scoring 12 goals in 42 league appearances for the Lilywhites.

While he wasn’t particularly prolific before that, the 25-year-old is showing that it wasn’t just a one-off season as he has three goals in five outings so far this term.

Physicality

Football - Brighton & Hove Albion v Preston North End - Sky Bet Football League Championship - The American Express Community Stadium - 24/10/15
Brighton and Hove Albion's Lewis Dunk in action with Preston North End's Jordan Hugill
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Preston boss Alex Neil labelled Hugill a "beast" after he scored the winning goal in their 1-0 success against Reading at Deepdale last weekend, and he certainly has the physicality needed to not only be a good replacement for Wood at Leeds, but also to provide plenty problems and be a nuisance for opposition Championship defenders.

The 25-year-old showed his strength in the air last term by winning 195 headed duels in 42 league games, but he is also good with the ball at his feet as he proved by successfully completing 12 of the 18 take-ons he attempted.

Price tag

Considering they have sold Wood for around £15m you would think that Leeds have a bit of money to spend on a new striker now, and they will believe that they could get Hugill for around a third of that fee considering Birmingham’s first rejected bid was worth £2.5m.

Because the 25-year-old causes such problems for defenders and has proven that he can bring goals too, he could not only be a big player if he moves to Elland Road this season, but he could also have an impact in the Premier League if the Yorkshire outfit go up in May.

Do you agree, Leeds fans? Let us know below.