According to recent reports, Leeds United are interested in the summer signing of AS Roma right-back Alessandro Florenzi.
The reports by Phil Hay and Tom Worville for The Athletic claim that Leeds have ‘cast their eye’ over Florenzi, who is dubbed as a ‘player with a level of versatility’ – being able to operate from full-back or midfield – which ‘could suit’ Marcelo Bielsa.
According to the report, the 29-year-old is ‘set to leave the Serie A club this summer’, although it is stated that his ‘preference is to stay in Italy’, with Sampdoria, Fiorentina and Atalanta all said to be interested in his services.
Florenzi came through the Roma youth system, only moving away from the club on a permanent basis for a brief spell at Crotone before returning to the Italian capital in 2012, and has gone on to play 280 times for the Giallorossi, scoring 28 goals and providing 32 assists.
However, after playing the first half of season with Roma, the 29-year-old was then loaned out to Valencia for the second half of the 2019/20 campaign, where he failed to score or assist a single goal and averaged a disappointing WhoScored match rating of just 6.42 in La Liga.
TIF Thoughts…
As previously mentioned, Florenzi’s versatility is one of his major strengths, having played at left-back, right-back right midfield, left-wing and right-wing over the course of this season, meaning the 29-year-old would obviously be a handy player for Bielsa to have at his disposal.
Would you be keen to see Leeds make a move for Florenzi this summer?
Yes
No
However, it is unclear as to how much Roma would want for the £14.40m-rated Italian international, and, considering his poor form this term, we might suggest that Leeds are better off spending their money elsewhere.