Leeds United have been tipped by former England international Kevin Phillips (Football Insider h/t Leeds Live) to offer utility star Ezgjan Alioski a new deal to extend his stay at Elland Road. The 28-year-old’s existing contract in West Yorkshire expires at the end of the 2020-21 campaign and Phillips believes the Mecadonian’s service to the Whites is deserving of a new deal.
Ezgjan Alioski rose through the youth ranks of BSC Young Boys and made over 50 appearances for the club’s reserve side. However, he failed to make a first-team breakthrough at his boyhood club and started his professional career with Schaffhausen in the Swiss second-tier before earning a move to Lugano in the top-flight in January 2016.
The 28-year-old bagged 16 goals in 34 appearances for Lugano in the 2016-17 Swiss Super League, which paved the way for a move to Leeds United in the EFL Championship. Alioski quickly established himself as a regular starter at Elland Road, starting over 40 league games in each of his first two seasons at the club.
Alioski only played a bit-part role as the Whites secured promotion to the Premier League as the outright winners of the Championship last term, starting 21 times.
The Macedonian has continued to be a key squad player under Marcelo Bielsa in the top-flight so far this season. He made his international debut for North Macedonia in 2013 and has since scored 7 times in 38 appearances for his nation.
Alioski has racked up 20 goals and 16 assists in 138 appearances for Leeds United in all competitions so far. Those numbers are more than decent considering that he has been transformed into a left-back by Marcelo Bielsa, having initially come through the door as an out-and-out wide attacker by trade.
The 28-year-old largely featured as a full-back in the Championship last season, with Jack Harrison playing as the first-choice left-winger. With Barry Douglas no longer in the mix, Bielsa has continued to rotate the Macedonian and Stuart Dallas on the left-hand side of the backline.
Alioski has shown that he’s more than capable of contributing with goals and assists, both from a defensive as well an advanced role on the left. Bielsa’s presence at the helm has had a transformative impact on the development of several players at Elland Road and Alioski is certainly among them.
Leeds United should prioritise a new deal for Ezgjan Alioski, regardless of whether Leeds opt to bring in a specialist left-back moving forward. The Whites are still short of adequate depth in several areas of the squad and the Macedonian certainly ticks the box as a versatile player who offers Bielsa some quality cover in multiple departments.
Moreover, Leeds need to keep hold of their utility players if they are to make an impression in the top-flight. Alioski is someone who is quite well-versed with Bielsa’s tactics, having been a part of the Argentine’s set-up over the past few years.
The 28-year-old still has several years remaining in his prime, so it should be an absolute no-brainer to tie him down to a new long-term deal in the coming months.