Patrick Bamford,the riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.
He may be on a respectable figure of 12 goals for the season so far, but with Leeds United’s position in the automatic promotion slots becoming increasingly precarious, the 26-year-old's competence in leading the line has been the source of major inquests as of late.
A profligate performance in the recent 0-1 home loss to Wigan Athletic and a penalty miss against Queens Park Rangers has bolstered the ammunition of the anti-Bamford brigade, and amplified the voices of those who believe it is time for Jean-Kevin Augustin, Leeds' January recruit, to be handed his first-team debut against Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
The question is whether Marcelo Bielsa, seemingly Bamford's biggest and most loyal proponent, will budge.
Why Bamford is Bielsa's man
When one of modern football's great pioneers expresses his unwavering loyalty to a player, you would have thought they also had the unconditional support of the fanbase.
The reality has been quite the contrary, with many Leeds fans incredulous as to how and why their manager is so devoted to Bamford and his perceived minimal contributions.
What Bielsa relies so heavily upon, though, is the intangibles. Bamford is somewhat of a facilitator for this star-studded Leeds side, someone who can hold the ball up adeptly, make clever movements into the channels and open up space in his wake, and often someone who can merely occupy defenders with his physical prowess. It is the collective, not the individual work, that Bielsa values so highly.
There are few better in the league when Bamford combines his selfless link-up play with a clinical eye for goal. Yet the crucial point is that occasions like this have been few and far between for the Leeds marksman, with his finishing leaving a lot to be desired over the past few months.
And for a team like Leeds who are dealing with fine margins at the summit of the Sky Bet Championship, it is integral that the chances they create materialize into something substantial.
A repeat of the Nketiah debacle for Augustin ?
At just 22-years-of-age, Jean-Kevin Augustin has travelled more than many players will in their entire career.
After spells playing for Paris Saint-Germain, Monaco, and RB Leipzig, the highly-rated youngster's next destination is West Yorkshire, and, despite rumours of character clashes at his previous clubs, he can be sure that, on the basis of regular goals, any petulance will be quickly forgotten about at Elland Road.
Revered for his lightning turn of pace, Augustin flourishes as a second striker, and his attributes would perfectly complement those of Bamford in a 4-4-2. Bielsa, though, has long been adherent to the 4-1-4-1 and 3-3-3-1 systems, so a switch in formation is unlikely.
The more realistic question is not one of whether Augustin can partner Bamford, but if he can replace him.
Eddie Nketiah, also a precocious young striker, failed to do so. Perpetually second choice, Nketiah found opportunities hard to come by under Bielsa, with his loan from Arsenal inevitably cut short during the January transfer window. Nketiah didn't fill the requirements of the prototype for a Bielsa striker, too focused on scoring goals as opposed to creating them.
Augustin will pray that history does not repeat itself, though Bielsa is not one to shoehorn players into the team if they don't fit the system. He will have to prove his all-round game to the Argentinian if he wants to stand any chance of becoming a regular starter.