Speaking recently on the All Leeds TV YouTube show, Beren Cross provided an update on Leeds United’s potential transfer incomings and outgoings this summer, and in particular, the club’s pursuit of Udinese’s attacking midfielder, Rodrigo de Paul.
Since moving to Udinese from Valencia in what was a £2.7 million deal back in 2016, the 26-year-old has gone on to make 146 appearances for the Serie A side, scoring 25 goals and providing 25 assists along the way.
Last season, the Argentina international highly impressed for I Friulani, scoring seven goals and providing six assists over his 34 league appearances, earning eight WhoScored Man of the Match awards, as well as averaging an average WhoScored match rating of 7.25/10.
It has been reported that Marcelo Bielsa would like to bring the £27 million-rated attacking midfielder to the Premier League ahead of next season, with a report by TEAMtalk suggesting that the club would be required to spend around €35 million (£31.5 million) to secure the 26-year-old.
Speaking on the All Leeds TV YouTube channel, Cross stated that De Paul is indeed the club’s ‘top target’ this summer.
He said: “It’s certainly [an] ambitious target, isn’t it? I mean, no sooner had we spent £40 million on Rodrigo and Robin Koch, then we were being linked with this fella over at Udinese.
“All the analysis that has come out from all of the various accounts following Leeds since then is very, very exciting, isn’t it? He sounds pretty special.
“As ever, with players of that quality, Leeds aren’t going to be the only club in for him. He will be wanting to make sure that any move he makes is going to be the right move for him. He’s been at Udinese for a long time now, he’s very established there, a real fans’ favourite, the heartbeat of that team, but he’s not going to say no to the opportunity to play in the Premier League, or even a bigger Italian club. So, Leeds’ hat is certainly in the ring for him. He’s certainly the top target as it stands.”
Do you think Rodrigo de Paul will be a Leeds player by the end of the transfer window?
Yes
No
TIF Thoughts…
From Cross’ comments, it would certainly appear as if the journalist feels that Leeds are very much in for De Paul this summer, and although he feels that the midfielder is an ‘ambitious’ target for the club, he also thinks the player is not going to turn down the opportunity to play Premier League football.
As such, we will have to wait and see how the club’s interest in De Paul develops, but we have to agree that he would appear to be a great coup for Leeds if they were to agree a deal to sign the midfielder this summer.