Striker Antonsson becomes Monk’s first signing as Leeds boss

By Peter Westwood

Swedish striker Marcus Antonsson has became Leeds first signing of the summer, joining from Kalmar FF for an overall fee of £2m.

25-year-old Antonsson, who is the Allsvenskan’s top scorer this season after hitting 10 goals in the opening 12 matches, has put pen-to-paper on a three-year deal at Elland Road.

Antonsson is Garry Monk’s first addition to the squad and he says that playing in England has been a dream of his for some time.

“It feels fantastic to be here,” Antonsson told the club’s official website shortly after signing his contract. “Ever since Leeds came into the picture, it seemed like the perfect choice. I wanted this move as soon as Leeds contacted me.

“Playing in England has been a big dream of mine. Coming to a big club like Leeds is a dream come true and I will work very hard for the team in every game. I will not miss this opportunity.”

Asked what the United supporters can expect to see from the club’s newest recruit, the striker replied: “First of all, I like to score goals. I’m fast inside the box and my big strength is my timing in the box. I always try to work very hard for the team, I run a lot of metres, but scoring goals is my main thing.”

Head coach Garry Monk added: “It’s great to make that first signing. In terms of how he plays, Marcus is a different striker to what we’ve got already, so that gives us options up front.

“He’s done exceptionally well over the last couple of seasons. He scores goals, has great movement and he has the mentality to be able to adapt to this league

“The club has watched a lot of him, I’ve watched a lot of him and I felt he’d be a good fit for Leeds United,” Monk concluded.

Antonsson spent five years with homeland outfit Halmstads, netting 10 times in 50 league matches, before making the switch to Kalmar last year and enjoying a prolific run of 22 goals from 40 games.