Leeds United midfielder Ronaldo Vieira is expected to sign a contract later today (Tuesday, 31 July) in order to complete a transfer move to Sampdoria in what has been a rapid switch, according to Leeds Live.
The news website claim that the 20-year-old is hours away from sealing a surprise move to Italy after the Whites reportedly accepted an offer from the Serie A side, despite Vieira himself having no plans on leaving Elland Road heading into the summer.
It is stated that the move for the midfielder, who has made 71 senior appearances for Leeds and had a contract which runs until 2021, has come around quickly and it is set to be completed imminently.
Opinion
The summer is all about shock twists and turns and this is definitely one of the more surprising moves this year. Vieira is a homegrown talent at Leeds and at 20 seems to have plenty of potential ahead of him, so selling him off seems out of the blue for Marcelo Bielsa. Still, the Argentinian manager is new at the club and has no prior opinions about any member of the squad, and if he feels that the young midfielder does not have what it takes to be a success, or if he feels Sampdoria’s offer is too good to turn down, then that is his decision. Whether it comes back to bite the Whites, like Lewis Cook’s exit has done in a way, it remains to be seen, but there will no doubt be some frustrations over letting someone who has been so highly regarded by the club depart. It shows that Bielsa is ruthless and will not accept anything less than the very best at Elland Road, and while Vieira’s exit might be a shock, the manager is obviously doing it for the good of the club.