Leeds United News: Bielsa should sign Yohan Benalouane
According to claims from Foot Mercato, Leeds United and Cardiff City are set to battle it out for the signature of Nottingham Forest defender Yohan Benalouane in the summer.
Benalouane moved to the City ground in January from Leicester City after struggling for playtime but the 31-year-old Tunisian international has impressed in the Championship since the turn of the year, establishing himself as a regular in Martin O’Neill’s side.
The veteran started off his career with Saint Etienne in France and had stints at Cesena, Parma and Atalanta in the Serie A before completing a £6.8 million move to Leicester in 2015. However, he featured sporadically for the Foxes in the Premier League and struggled for regular minutes.
Benalouane has made a total of 10 appearances in the Championship for Forest since the turn of the year and has attracted interest from the likes of Cardiff and Leeds with his consistently solid displays at the heart of the defence.
Truth be told, the veteran perfectly fits the bill at both the aforementioned clubs. While Cardiff will be hoping to add more depth to their defensive options should they manage to avoid relegation, Leeds can bank on Benalouane to add much-needed experience to their backline.
Standing at 6ft. 1 inch with a towering and well-built frame, Benalouane is neither the quickest nor the most agile of centre-backs. However, he makes up for his deficiencies with his good reading of the game, often staying on his feet to intercept and clearing the ball out from the back.
A physically dominating centre-half, Benalouane excels with his aerial ability and tends to stamp his authority over his offensive counterparts with his strength.
The 31-year-old has averaged 2.6 interceptions, 5.9 clearances and 5.4 aerial duels for Nottingham Forest in the Championship this term, figures which show that he is more than capable of imposing himself as a robust presence at the back.
To put things into perspective, Leeds United should look to beat Cardiff to the signature of Benalouane in a bid to add more experience to their defensive options in the summer.
Benalouane has played in the Serie A, Ligue 1 and Premier League, which means that he is a hugely-experienced defender, and his experience of playing at the highest level could prove to be a valuable asset to the Peacocks should they secure promotion.
Leeds have been pretty solid at the back in the Championship this season and they have one of the best defensive records in the division, having conceded a miserly 39 goals from 38 games.
Liam Cooper and Pontus Jansson have done an excellent job at the heart of the defence, with Kalvin Phillips filling in admirably at the back during Jansson’s injury absence.
The Peacocks also have the services of young and promising Aapo Halme but an experienced head like Benalouane can be a calming presence in the dressing room, whilst also adding to squad depth.
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Leeds will be hoping to end their 15-year-long absence from the Premier League, and should they secure promotion, Yohan Benalouane can play an important role in their bid for survival in the top-flight next season.
