According to the Brighton and Hove Independent, Leeds United have been installed as one of the bookmakers’ favourites to sign Spanish winger Gerard Deulofeu from Watford in the ongoing transfer window.
As per the source, the 26-year-old’s future at Vicarage Road is in doubt after the Hornets failed to beat the drop in the Premier League by the narrowest of margins, finishing 19th and just one point adrift of safety.
Leeds have been installed as 4/1 contenders for Deulofeu’s signature, Crystal Palace at 6/1, and Arsenal at 9/1 while the odds splashed on AC Milan are 11/4. (h/t Brighton and Hove Independent)
It’s still not known whether Leeds are genuinely targeting a move for the former Barcelona star, but Marcelo Bielsa’s intention to bolster his attack ahead of the upcoming Premier League campaign can be clearly made out from the Whites’ links with star strikers Edinson Cavani and Zlatan Ibrahimovich. (h/t The Sun)
Leeds played one of the most attractive brands of football in the EFL Championship under the stewardship of Bielsa last term. But life in the Premier League is completely different, as we have seen with so many promoted sides over the years.
The Whites managed 77 goals en route to their triumphant Championship campaign, the joint second-best scoring record in the division. But they will definitely need to reshape their attack to produce such numbers in the Premier League.
That is because Bielsa hardly has a lot of PL experience to call upon when it comes to his attack. Helder Costa, who has joined the Whites permanently following a loan spell, and Pablo Hernandez have both played in the English top-flight before. But the latter is very much in the twilight of his career at 35.
Man City loanee Jack Harrison was instrumental in the club’s promotion-winning campaign with his performances from the flanks. But the England U21 international hasn’t played in the top-flight before. Young winger Ian Poveda, too, remains an unproven talent at the highest level.
To that end, Bielsa needs to reinforce his attack with some proven PL quality players and Gerard Deulofeu certainly fits the bill in that regard. The Spaniard boasts an impressive track record for Everton and Watford in the English top-flight, having accumulated a combined tally of 20 goals and 24 assists in 127 league appearances.
Furthermore, the Spanish international’s versatility to play on either flank and through the centre as an attacking midfielder should hand a massive boost to Bielsa’s squad dynamics.
Deulofeu remains a big-game player and a genuine match-winner (remember his brace in Watford’s FA Cup semi-final win over Wolves last year), meaning that he can add a lot of value to a promoted side like Leeds.
The Whites need to adopt a shrewd approach with their recruitment policy to ensure that they don’t make the same mistakes as Fulham in 2018-19 and Aston Villa last summer. Having a proven PL winger like Gerard Deulofeu will certainly help their bid for survival in the top-flight and this is a move that Bielsa should seriously consider.
