UDINE, ITALY - NOVEMBER 01: Rodrigo de Paul of Udinese Calcio looks on during the Serie A match between Udinese Calcio and AC Milan at Dacia Arena on November 01, 2020 in Udine, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)
According to Leeds Live, Leeds United were linked to Rodrigo de Paul through the last summer transfer window but are unlikely to pursue him in January. The report states that Udinese were demanding £40million for the player, a sum Leeds were unwilling to pay.
A youth exponent of Racing Club in Argentina, Rodrigo de Paul made his senior debut for his boyhood club during the 2012-13 season and went on to make over 50 appearances in all competitions before earning a move to Europe with La Liga outfit Valencia in 2014.
However, the attacking midfielder struggled to acclimatize to life in Spain and was loaned back to his former club for the latter half of the 2015-16 campaign. De Paul completed a permanent transfer to Udinese in the summer of 2016 and has since gone on to carve out a big reputation for himself as a top-quality creative midfielder in Italy.
The 26-year-old has accumulated an impressive tally of 26 goals and 27 assists in 154 appearances for Udinese in all competitions so far (source – Transfermarkt). A full international for Argentina since 2018, De Paul has 19 caps under his belt and helped his nation to a third-place finish at the 2019 Copa America in Brazil.
Leeds have been one of the most exciting teams to watch this season. They have shown some great ability despite being a newly promoted club. The Whites seem to have a very able squad that looks capable of going through a Premier League season strongly. However, there do remain a few areas that need work and one of them is midfield, especially creative midfield.
While Tyler Roberts and Rodrigo Moreno have done well in the role, the latter is more accustomed to playing as an out-and-out striker. Pablo Hernandez, the other attacking midfielder in the team, is 35 and looks unlikely to play a prominent role.
To that end, Leeds United making a renewed attempt to sign Rodrigo de Paul during the January window would surely put an end to their squad depth issues.
Essentially a central attacking midfielder by trade, De Paul is versatile enough to play out wide on either flank. A potential deal for the Argentine wizard would, therefore, offer Bielsa with quality cover in more than one area across the final third.
The 26-year-old boasts a proven track record of goals and assists in the Serie A while he still has his best years ahead of him. He’s still very much at a good age and looks more than capable of thriving in the Premier League.
Plus, the presence of his compatriot Bielsa at Elland Road is likely to make it easier for him to acclimatise to life in West Yorkshire. Leeds should rethink their stance on De Paul as he would be a valuable addition to the side.
