Leeds United have been given a sobering reminder of the step up in high quality from the Championship to the Premier League by watching some current switch sagas unfold.
Liverpool formally confirmed the everlasting signing of Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen for a reported price that might rise to a British-record £116m on Friday.
Whereas, the Whites have by no means spent greater than £35.5m to signal a participant. Their present document stands on the £35.5m they paid to signal Georginio Rutter from Hoffenheim at the beginning of 2023.
Rutter scored eight objectives and offered 18 assists in 66 matches for the West Yorkshire outfit earlier than he accomplished a transfer to Brighton & Hove Albion final summer season.
Leeds are out there to signal a central midfielder to bolster their squad this summer season, amid curiosity in Strasbourg’s Habib Diarra and Membership Brugge’s Raphael Onyedika.
They’ve been proven how a lot the highest midfielders within the Premier League go for, although, as Arsenal are set to signal Martin Zubimendi from Spanish aspect Actual Sociedad for a reported price of £56m.
Leeds United’s present midfield choices
At this second in time, Ethan Ampadu, Ilia Gruev, and Ao Tanaka are Daniel Farke’s solely senior central midfield choices forward of the 2025/26 marketing campaign, after Joe Rothwell returned to Bournemouth and Josuha Guilavogui was launched on the finish of his contract.
Ampadu has typically been utilised as a centre-back possibility by the German head coach, which may go away Gruev and Tanaka as the 2 midfielders in his 4-2-3-1 system if the Wales worldwide slots into the again 4.
There are query marks over whether or not these two midfielders have the physicality to compete week-in-week-out in a relegation scrap within the Premier League, nonetheless, on account of their type prior to now.
Previous to their respective strikes to Elland Highway, each Gruev and Tanaka performed in Germany, within the Bundesliga and the two. Bundesliga, and confirmed indicators that they might not be capable to deal with the step up in physicality to the Premier League.
Stats | Gruev (22/23 Bundesliga) | Tanaka (23/24 2. Bundesliga) |
|---|---|---|
Appearances | 31 | 30 |
Go accuracy | 87% | 89% |
Tackles + interceptions per recreation | 2.1 | 2.0 |
Floor duel success price | 53% | 49% |
Aerial duel success price | 43% | 49% |
Stats by way of Sofascore | ||
As you’ll be able to see within the desk above, they each left a bit to be desired bodily within the high two divisions in Germany, notably when it got here to competing in aerial battles.
This can be why the Whites are eager so as to add extra physicality to their midfield by bringing in a brand new possibility in that space of the park, and they’re now reportedly excited by a brand new goal in that place.
Leeds eyeing deal for Ligue 1 enforcer
In line with GIVEMESPORT, Leeds United are lining up a deal to signal Stade de Reims defensive midfielder Valentin Atangana through the summer season switch window.
The report claims that the Whites have set their sights on the gifted 19-year-old enforcer, whose group had been relegated to the second division in France this season.
GIVEMESPORT provides that the Championship champions are eager to do their enterprise as early as doable, and that the French starlet has emerged as one of many choices on their radar of their pursuit of a brand new central midfielder.
The outlet states that the Whites are eager to win the race to safe his providers this summer season after they had been made conscious that he’s set to be obtainable out there due to Reims’ relegation to Ligue 2.
It additionally forwards a suggestion that the participant may very well be obtainable for a cut price value of round £9m, as Reims look to rake in cash after dropping out of Ligue 1.
The report additionally claims that Leeds at the moment are weighing up whether or not or to not enter negotiations over a deal to deliver the teenage expertise to West Yorkshire earlier than the top of the window.
Why Leeds ought to signal Valentin Atangana
The Whites ought to strategy Reims to do a deal for the 19-year-old star as a result of he may arrive as Farke’s personal model of Zubimendi, who is ready to affix Arsenal for £56m, to bolster the physicality in his midfield.
As per FBref, the Spain worldwide is likely one of the most related gamers to Atangana primarily based on their respective statistics in Ligue 1 and LaLiga over the previous one year.
As you’ll be able to see within the chart above, they each excel in pretty related areas of the sport, notably defensively, with an identical success price in tackles and aerial battles.
Zubimendi ended the LaLiga season with a floor duel success price of 56% and an aerial battle success price of 62%, while Atangana received 53% of his floor duels and 58% of his aerial battles in Ligue 1 for Reims.
The France U19 worldwide, who was hailed as “distinctive” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, caught the attention within the French top-flight from a defensive perspective, regardless of his group being relegated.
He was enjoying in a poor group, therefore their relegation, however nonetheless showcased his physicality and high quality. An amazing instance is his efficiency in opposition to PSG within the Coupe de France closing, as he received seven of his 9 duels and accomplished all three of his dribbles in opposition to the likes of Joao Neves and Vitinha, however his aspect misplaced 3-0.
24/25 Ligue 1 | Valentin Atangana per 90 | Percentile rank vs midfielders |
|---|---|---|
Clearances | 2.02 | Prime 19% |
Aerial duels received | 1.48 | Prime 8% |
Share of dribblers tackled | 73.7% | Prime 2% |
Challenges misplaced | 0.32 | Prime 2% |
Photographs blocked | 0.47 | Prime 14% |
Interceptions | 1.17 | Prime 33% |
Dispossessed | 0.73 | Prime 23% |
Stats by way of FBref | ||
As you’ll be able to see within the desk above, Atangana ranked extremely amongst his positional friends in a number of key defensive metrics in Ligue 1, notably when it got here to profitable aerial duels and holding off opposition gamers.
He not often allowed dribblers to get previous him, as proven by his success price in tackles and the way few challenges he misplaced, and was not often dispossessed by opposition midfielders, which speaks to his power in possession.
The teenage expertise may, due to this fact, be Farke’s personal model of Zubimendi as a defensive midfielder who has proven that he may be dependable in bodily contests and safe in possession underneath stress in certainly one of Europe’s high leagues.
To signal a 19-year-old expertise who has already confirmed his high quality within the French top-flight, and is corresponding to £56m-rated Zubimendi, for simply £9m may very well be a shrewd transfer by Leeds, and one they have to pursue within the coming weeks.
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