Leeds United opinion: Should the Whites beat Norwich to sign Elvis Rexhbecaj?
According to claims from German publication Bild, Norwich City and Leeds United are set to go head-to-head in a transfer tug of war over VfL Wolfsburg midfielder Elvis Rexhbecaj in the summer.
The same reportclaims that the 21-year-old midfielder of Kosovan origin, who is rated at £7million by the Bundesliga side, might be put up for sale at the end of the season given that his contract at Wolfsburg expires in 2020.
Rexhbecaj signed a professional contract with Wolfsburg in August 2017 and started only a single game in the Bundesliga last season, but he has enjoyed his breakthrough in the current season. The 21-year-old has made a total of 22 appearances for Wolfsburg in the league this season, scoring and assisting once.
Norwich have already confirmed their promotion to the Premier League and the Canaries will be looking to claim the Championship title on Sunday, with Daniel Farke’s men needing just a point against Aston Villa to get their hands on silverware.
Leeds, on the other hand, might still make it to the Premier League through the playoffs after slipping below the automatic promotion places following their woeful run of form over the Easter Period.
The news linking Leeds and Norwich to £7million-rated Elvis Rexhbecaj comes as a bit of surprise given that neither of the clubs is known to fork out such kind of money in the transfer window on a single player. However, both the clubs have good enough reason to weigh up a deal for the promising youngster.
Held in high regard in the Bundesliga as a promising young midfield enforcer, Rexhbecaj is exceptionally strong on the tackle, while he also possesses the ability to dictate proceedings in the middle of the park with his physicality and passing.
Known for his versatility, the 21-year-old is not only adept at switching between box-to-box and defensive roles but he can fill in at left-back as well.
To put things into perspective, Elvis Rexhbecaj would be an ideal signing for both the aforementioned clubs, though one would expect Norwich to have the upper hand in the deal given that the Canaries have already secured promotion to the Premier League.
However, Leeds United would bag a massive coup if they manage to beat off competition for the 21-year-old midfielder.
In fact, Leeds should look to sign him irrespective of whether they make it to the Premier League or stay in the Championship to fight for promotion once again. The Whites do not have too much depth in their squad and Rexhbecaj’s versatility would certainly increase competition for places.
Kalvin Phillips and Adam Forshaw have largely been rotated by Marcelo Bielsa in that holding midfield role but the Argentinian’s decision to play Forshaw in a No.8 role in the 1-1 draw against Aston Villa proved that it doesn’t necessarily have to be an either/or choice when it comes to team selection.
Mateusz Klich has been an ever-present for the Whites this campaign but one can get the feeling that they need to bring in at least another midfielder in the summer after losing Samuel Saiz.
Furthermore, Leeds have struggled with a lack of depth at left-back this season and someone like Rexhbecaj, who can fill in at the back as well, could prove to be an important squad player at Elland Road.
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Conclusion
The 21-year-old has shown strong signs of promise early in his career and it is not surprising to see why he has earned such rave reviews in a highly competitive league such as the Bundesliga.
That said, Leeds would do themselves a world of good by beating Norwich to strike a deal for the Kosovan prodigy this summer.
