Leeds United are battling Aston Villa for the signature of Lille forward Anwar El Ghazi in the final 10 days of the summer window, according to L’Equipe.
The French sports paper (Tuesday, page 8) claim the Ligue 1 club need to raise £27million in sales between now and the 31 August cut-off and one player they’re looking to move on is Holland international El Ghazi.
L’Equipe report Lille want £4.5million for the winger and there is strong interest from Aston Villa and Leeds, who could sign him on loan with an option to buy. French duo Rennes and St Etienne have already made approaches for the 23-year-old.
Good move for Leeds?
Yes. United need reinforcements in attack, particularly in the wide positions. Ezgjan Alioski and Pablo Hernandez are the men in possession and have started the campaign impressively, but the back-ups Stuart Dallas and Man City loanee Jack Harrison do not offer the proven penetration the team will need over the course of the Championship marathon. El Ghazi has pedigree and class. Capped twice by Holland, his record at former club Ajax was impressive – 23 goals and 16 assists from 99 appearances – and he adapted well in his first season at Lille in 2017-18. The wide man could make a huge impact at Elland Road.
This Is Futbol rating 8/10
Likely to happen?
It appears very likely El Ghazi will leave Lille by the end of the month. The French club must cash in on several key assets or face punishment from French football financial watchdog the DNCG. However, there is serious competition for the Dutchman’s services, including from France and Championship rivals Villa.
This Is Futbol rating 4/10