Thiago Almada is one of the best young talents in Argentina (Getty Images)
According to SportWitness (h/t Leeds Live), Leeds United are interested in signing Argentina and Velez Sarsfield youngster Thiago Almada.
The report also suggests that Leeds need to pay £22.2m to sign him. But the Whites face competition to secure his services as Manchester United and Manchester City are also keen on the teenager. He is also dubbed as the next Carlos Tevez, as per the report.
Born in Argentina, Almada came through the ranks of Velez Sarsfield’s youth system and made his senior debut in the 2018/19 campaign. In his first full season with the senior team, he racked up 3 goals and 2 assists in 16 Superliga games and followed it with a string of fine performances last season.
He managed to score 4 goals and provide one assist in 22 league games last campaign. His impressive performances also earned him a call up to Argentina’s U20 squad in January 2019. Since then, he has gone on to make 7 appearances, scoring 1 goal in the process.
At the moment, Bielsa has just one natural attacking midfielder at his disposal. 35-year-old Pablo Hernandez was one of the stars in Leeds’ promotion to the top flight. The Spaniard displayed his best and saved the team on several occasions.
Apart from Hernandez, the Whites don’t have anyone in the No: 10 role. Youngster Tyler Roberts was used as a cover for the Spaniard but he is naturally a centre-forward. However, they need to bring in reinforcements to their creative department as Hernandez is ageing and wouldn’t be available for the future.
In that regard, signing Almada would secure the future of their creative department. The 19-year-old has been in fine form since coming through the youth ranks and has already shown immense potential at a higher level. He can be a future replacement for Hernandez.
Almada is just 19 and still has a lot of room for development. And under the guidance of someone like Bielsa, the teenager can lead the Whites’ creative department in the future. He is also capable of operating in wide areas and his versatility would be a massive boost to the Whites.
With Hernandez reaching the twilight of his career, it is clear that Leeds are in dire need of attacking midfielders. And investing in youth would help them reap rewards in the future. Thus, they should manage to lure Almada to Elland Road at the earliest.
