Noel Whelan insists that Marcus Antonsson is not the answer to Leeds United's striking problems.
The Whites are lacking a prolific goal-getter up top, having failed to properly replace Chris Wood following selling the New Zealander to Burnley in the summer transfer window.
Antonsson is on loan at Blackburn Rovers and has been turning heads with his performances in League One, with the Swede hitting the net on a regular basis.
There have been calls for Leeds to recall Antonsson in the January window as they look to push up into the Championship playoff spots and put in a genuine promotion bid.
But Whelan is sure the Swede is not the answer for Leeds, who he feels need a top class striker and would need to pay a premium to land one next month.
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"He's not the answer, he's not the answer", Whelan said on BBC Radio Leeds, when asked about a recall for Antonsson.
"If you want a top class striker you've got pay money for him, it's as simple as that.
"And the January transfer window is not the window to get that, unfortunately.
"People are not going to allow their top players to go unless you're going to fork out a bit more, over the odds to tempt them to sell those strikers and those big players that are going to make the difference."
Leeds banked an initial £15m from selling Wood to Burnley, while they also pocketed £7m from selling Charlie Taylor to the same club.
Owner Andrea Radrizzani has vowed to invest every penny in the transfer market, meaning Leeds should still have a substantial kitty available to bring in players in the new year.
