Leeds United have refused to deny the Premier League side’s alleged interest in Udinese winger Rodrigo de Paul following reports of transfer talks, according to The Athletic’s Phil Hay.
The Whites were linked with interest in De Paul over the weekend by The Telegraph, who suggested Marcelo Bielsa is driving our efforts in pursuing the 26-year-old as he supposedly feels the Udinese star can add real quality to our side through his ability to unlock defences.
De Paul is believed to be our first-choice option for a midfield addition if Director of Football Victor Orta is able to reach an agreement with the 17-cap star’s Serie A side, who were expected to demand at least £25million due to his long-term contract at the Stadio Friuli.
Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano later supported The Telegraph’s initial reports, though added that it could cost as much as €30m-35m (£26.8m-£31.2m) to acquire the forward we are ‘seriously interested’ in landing.
Romano believes further talks are already underway between the two clubs to see if a deal can be struck for a player who has earned admiration from around Europe with his exploits for Napoli, with clubs of the calibre of Juventus, AC Milan and Arsenal all linked at one stage.
Juventus were alleged to have begun targeting De Paul after a six-hour meeting with new head coach Andrea Pirlo earlier in the month, but the Bianconeri were aware of the challenges negotiating with Udinese would present.
Arsenal’s interest was touted mid-way through August by reports in Italy, which claimed the Gunners could go toe-to-toe with Milan and SSC Napoli for the Argentine’s signature as the 26-year-old should be challenging himself at a higher level than he currently is.
Could Leeds land Rodrigo de Paul this summer?
Yes
No
What has made De Paul so sought-after is that he has the ability to unlock defences through his immense vision, as Bielsa is rumoured to admire, having averaged 2.3 key passes a game in the Serie A last term that led to a whopping 17 big chances being created and six assists, per SofaScore.
The Udinese captain also scored seven goals in the Italian top-flight last term from an average of 2.0 shots per game, plus 1.8 successful dribbles with a 67% success rate, 5.9 ground duels won, 1.6 successful crosses (23%) and 25.6 accurate passes in the opponent’s territory (68%), while also making 1.8 successful tackles and 0.9 interceptions.
While being a predominantly right-sided forward, De Paul also displayed his skills across the pitch with a free role for Udinese that led to his incredible average 71.2 touches a game being recorded on almost every blade of grass possible.
A player like De Paul plying his trade in the Premier League under a head coach like Bielsa could simply be one of the best things Elland Road has witnessed in recent years.