Gary Devonport, Paddy Miller, ‘Old Ben’, ‘Wraggy’ and Stevie Ward featured on a recent edition of the Leeds United-focused ‘Talking Shutt’ podcast and during the show, the panel spent some time discussing “highly sought-after” 19-year-old Argentina U20 international Thiago Almada after reports have recently linked him with a move to Elland Road.
Almada currently plays for Argentine club Velez Sarsfield, a club that was once managed by current Whites boss Marcelo Bielsa. According to Transfermarkt, the teenager has primarily played in an attacking midfield position thus far in his young career. However, he has also been utilised in a slightly deeper midfield position, on both wings and in the centre forward position as well.
Almada has been compared to Lionel Messi, stylistically, and Messi’s club Barcelona have been linked with a move for the young Argentinian.
However, reports have also recently emerged linking the 19-year-old with a move to Leeds United. Argentinian publication ‘Ole’ recently linked Almada with the Whites while commentator and journalist Juan G. Arango recently took to Twitter to say that it’s sounding as though Bielsa’s club is ‘in the running’ for the youngster.
During a recent edition of the Talking Shutt podcast, Miller raised the topic of Almada’s links with the club, saying: “We’re linked with a young lad, aren’t we? From South America.”
Devonport then went on to discuss Almada, who he described as “the most sought-after wonderkid in the world” in response to Miller’s statement, saying: “That would be a bit of a coup of a signing, because he’s been linked with some massive clubs like Barca, Real [Madrid], like the biggest of big clubs, to be fair.”
Do Leeds have any chance of signing Almada?
YES, I THINK SO
NO, I DON'T THINK SO
TIF Thoughts…
It may be understandable why Devonport believes that securing Almada’s signature would be “a coup” for Leeds, considering that the 19-year-old has been linked with clubs such as Barcelona and has been compared to Messi.
It appears as though Leeds would face plenty of competition for Almada. Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, and Real Madrid have all been linked with the Argentinian, apart from Barcelona and now Leeds. So with that in mind, the level of competition could make this a difficult signing for the Whites to pull off.