Rodrigo De Paul (Getty Images)
According to The Guardian, Leeds United are interested in signing Udinese star Rodrigo De Paul ahead of the new campaign.
The report suggests that Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa is keen to bring his compatriot to Elland Road but will have to fork out €35m to secure his services. The Argentine has been in sensational form in the last couple of seasons and would be a terrific signing for the newly-promoted Premier League side.
Born in Argentina, De Paul came through the ranks of Racing Club’s youth system. In 70 appearances for the club’s senior set-up, he racked up 7 goals and 7 assists before joining Valencia in the summer of 2014. His time at Mestalla wasn’t successful and he was sent back to his homeland for a loan spell.
In the summer of 2016, Udinese picked him and since then, he has been a regular member of the squad. De Paul has been one of the best players in Serie A and has been consistent in the last few years. He also helped Argentina reach the semifinals of the Copa America tournament last season.
The playmaker has gone on to make 146 appearances for the Italian outfit.
Bielsa has managed to bring in plenty of new faces to the squad in recent weeks. Two standout signings have Rodrigo from Valencia and Robin Koch from SC Freiburg. The manager has strengthened several key areas but there is still one position the Argentine tactician should focus on strengthening.
Pablo Hernandez is the only attacking midfielder available in the squad. The Spaniard was one of the key players last season and was the driving force of the team. However, he is already 35 and reaching the twilight of his career.
In that regard, signing De Paul seems to be sensible. The Argentine has gone from strength to strength in the last few years. After racking up 9 goals and 7 assists in the 2018/19 season, he continued with his impressive performance last season, scoring 7 goals and providing 7 assists.
He could be a fantastic replacement for the Spaniard as Leeds’ creative head. Moreover, De Paul is just 24 and still has a lot of room for development. He could be their leader in the creative department and could go on to represent them in the long run.
With Hernandez reaching the twilight of his career, it is clear that the Whites are in dire need of attacking midfielders for the future. And De Paul has already proven to be one of the best No.10’s in Serie A. He could bring in a lot of quality to Bielsa’s squad, whilst also providing them with some much-needed depth.
