Burnley boss Sean Dyche to launch £15million bid for Leeds striker Chris Wood this weekend

BURNLEY boss Sean Dyche will launch a £15million bid this weekend to sign Leeds United’s prolific striker Chris Wood.

The Clarets' manager has made signing Wood his top priority and wants the powerhouse striker to replace Andre Gray.

Former Brentford hitman Gray has joined Watford for £18million.

Dyche intends to use the bulk of that windfall to prise Wood away from Elland Road.

The Kiwi international has become a cult figure with fans since his £3m signing from Leicester City in July 2015.

Wood, 25, is one of the hottest properties in the Championship after smashing in 27 goals last season to top the division’s scoring charts.

Leeds’ Danish boss Thomas Christiansen would hate to lose his iconic goal-scorer who has become the main focal point for his team.

Wood scored in Leeds United’s 3-2 opening day win at Bolton last week.

But the 25-year-old is ambitious and will be keen to prove he can continue to score freely in the Premier League, after failing to make an impact with Leicester.

SunSport understands Christiansen has already made moves to find a replacement striker for Wood, after fearing a Premier League raid for his fearsome frontman.

Leeds have already signed 23-year-old hitman Caleb Ekuban from Chievo Verona and Spanish striker Samuel Saiz Alonso from Huesca this summer.

If Leeds decide to do business with Burnley, Christiansen would push ahead with attempts to sign Hamburg striker Pierre-Michel Lasogga.

He has been described as a German version of Wood.

The 25-year-old powerhouse has won 11 caps for Germany’s Under-21s and was called up to the German senior squad but never made it on to the pitch against Chile in 2014.

As it is Burnley will have some hard work to convince Leeds owner Andrea Radrizzani to part with his most popular player, who was Leeds’ Player of the Year last season.

Leeds have already fought off Chinese interest in Woods from Tianjin Quanjian. But the Premier League is a different ball game.

Southampton, Swansea, Brighton and Stoke have all been monitoring Wood.

But Dyche’s Burnley have stolen a march on them and hope to push through a deal in the next few days.

If not, they could fall back on Lille forward Nicolas de Preville.

Fourteen goals in 30 games last season caught Dyche's eye and he might launch a £12m bid.

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