OPINION
Leeds United will pull off a blinder if they sign midfield kingpin Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe this summer.
It is certainly a possibility as new boss Marcelo Bielsa works with recruitment chief Victor Orta on making changes to the side that limped to a 13th place Championship finish last season.
The Belgian publication Voetbal Primeur claim Oylimpiakos have rejected United’s second offer for the Belgium international after also knocking back a bid from them two weeks ago.
It is said the Greek club are willing to cash in on the 29-year-old but want to recoup the £1.8million fee they paid Legia Warsaw last summer, amid competing interest from Belgian big hitters Anderlecht and Club Brugge.
Odjidja-Ofoe would add a new dimension to a Leeds side that looked short of class and composure last season, although Adam Forshaw made a good impression after his January arrival from Middlesbrough.
Eunan O’Kane, Mateusz Klich and Ronaldo Vieira had campaigns to forget, and Kalvin Phillips’ energy and enthusiasm does not mask his deficiencies when the ball is at his feet.
Any player who has earned two Belgium caps, as Odjidja-Ofoe has, during a golden era of players for the national team, is clearly a player of quality who must be taken seriously.
His mixed spell at Norwich City, which included a bizarre short-term loan at Rotherham, will prompt concern from some observers.
But it is a measure of the Belgian’s calibre that he appeared in all 10 of Olympiakos Champions League matches last season, starting nine of them and scoring twice.
Had a suspension not brought an end to his campaign in March, the 29-year-old would have added to his 28 appearances in all competitions.
Moreover, Odjidja-Ofoe can play in both a defensive and offensive role in midfield and has the ability to dictate the tempo from the centre of the pitch.
A near-£2million fee is within Leeds’ range and could be the best bit of business the club do this summer.