According to claims from Italian outlet Corriere Dello Sport (h/t Leeds Live), Leeds United have been dealt a major blow in their pursuit of Argentine international striker Giovanni Simeone.
The 25-year-old had been linked with a move to Elland Road before the summer deadline, with Cagliari even confirming interest in the striker from the West Yorkshire outfit. However, Simeone has now played down those rumours, stating that he has no intentions of departing Cagliari in the near future. (Corriere Dello Sport h/t Leeds Live)
A youth product of River Plate, Giovanni Simeone made his first-team breakthrough in the Argentine top-flight during the 2013-14 season. However, he struggled to establish himself as a regular starter at his boyhood club and was shipped out on loan to fellow domestic rivals Banfield, where he scored 12 goals in 36 appearances over the course of two seasons.
The 25-year-old’s burgeoning reputation in Argentina paved the way for a move to Italy with Genoa in the summer of 2016. Simeone made an instant impact with a 12-goal haul in his debut season in the Serie A. A year later, he was signed by Fiorentina, where the striker bettered those numbers with 14 goals in 38 outings during the 2017-18 season.
However, Simeone was loaned out to Cagliari for the 2019-20 campaign after managing only 6 league goals in 36 appearances for La Viola in 2018-19. The Argentine regained his form on loan at Cagliari last term, netting 12 times in the Serie A before completing a permanent move away from Fiorentina.
Simeone has continued to fire on all cylinders this term as well, scoring 5 goals in 7 Serie A outings for Cagliari so far. The 25-year-old boasts an impressive track record of 49 goals and 13 assists in 153 career appearances in the Serie A for Genoa, Cagliari and Fiorentina combined. He has also earned 6 caps for Argentina at the senior international level.
Leeds United enjoyed a promising start to life in the top-flight with 3 wins from their 6 opening PL fixtures before suffering back-to-back 4-1 defeats against Leicester City and Crystal Palace heading into the final international break of the year. The Whites haven’t been short of goals, having scored 14 so far, but have already leaked 17 in the process.
That clearly underlines the need for stabilising the backline in the coming months. Leeds roped in Robin Koch and Diego Llorente to bolster their central defensive unit in the summer but injuries to several key players have made it difficult for Marcelo Bielsa to field a settled combination at the heart of the defence.
As evident from the numbers, things have been a lot brighter for Leeds further up the pitch. Patrick Bamford has announced himself in the top-flight with 7 goals in 8 games so far. However, Rodrigo Moreno has struggled to make an impression, scoring only once in 6 league games before contracting Covid-19.
With Bielsa opting to utilise Rodrigo in a withdrawn attacking role rather than an out-and-out centre-forward, Leeds should make use of the January window to bring in an able competitor for Bamford in front of goal. And making a renewed attempt to sign Giovanni Simeone would definitely make a lot of sense in footballing terms.
Simeone boasts an impressive track record in the Serie A, having hit double figures in the goals column in three of his last four seasons. The Argentine international has already proven his pedigree at the highest level in Italy, and at 25, the time seems to be right for him to test his credentials in the highly-competitive atmosphere of the Premier League.
Giovanni Simeone might be happy with his life at Cagliari but it can’t be denied that the lure of playing in the Premier League and the riches on offer make the English top-flight a dream destination for most footballers.
The Whites need more depth and quality in front of goal to re-establish themselves as one of the superpowers of English football after a long absence. Simeone still has his best years ahead of him at 25 and would definitely be an excellent long-term investment for the club.