OPINION
It’s silly season for Leeds at the moment, with some increasingly bizarre names being linked with a move to the club.
First, it was goalkeeping legend Gianluigi Buffon. He was linked by Italian outlet Corriere della Serra (via the Sun) and the same paper doubled down on the claim after it was disputed by Mirror journalist David Anderson.
But, if any Leeds fans still held hope of signing Buffon, Phil Hay shattered them when he said on Twitter on Tuesday: “Buffon rumour is comedy, but you know that”.
The former Yorkshire Evening Post journalist is one of the most reliable sources of Leeds news.
But it gets worse. The latest name to be linked with a move to Elland Road is retired Italy international Francesco Totti.
A fellow retired Italy international, Marco Borriello, was on Sky Italy where he said (as quoted by TMW): “I know that a great leader of an English team has made him a proposal to go back to playing football. Radrizzani of Leeds? I don’t know.”
That’s been picked up and run with, despite the fact that Totti is 42 and retired in 2017.
The idea that he might come out of retirement for a move to Leeds makes as much sense as James Milner dropping down from Liverpool to play in the Championship under Marcelo Bielsa.
Still, it’s a bit of fun to while away the days before loan deals get ratified.
So what’s actually got a chance of happening? Phil Hay brought the Leeds fans back down to earth with his transfer update. “They’re still on with the four you know about,” Hay said. “[Helder] Costa, [Ben] White, [Jack] Harrison, [Ryan] Kent. Because they’d be loans, all dependent on wishes of other clubs and terms of deals.”
That might not be as much fun as the thought of Buffon and Totti joining, but at least all four of these deals have a chance of coming off.
Manager Marcelo Bielsa might have some pull in the transfer market but he can’t work actual miracles.