FC Barcelona's Ilias Akhomach during the warm up before the match
Leeds United are thought to be close to signing Barcelona youngster Ilias Akhomach, with a move seemingly at an advanced stage.
The Lowdown: Akhomach profiled
Akhomach is 18 years of age and is primarily a right-winger who can also play on the left or through the middle. The left-footed forward is valued at €3m (£2.7m) by Transfermarkt and is out of contract at the end of the season.
He made three first-team appearances at the Nou Camp last season and even featured in a Champions League matchday squad earlier this season, sitting on the bench against Viktoria Plzen.
The Latest: Transfer update
Sports Witness relayed an update from Mundo Deportivo regarding Akhomach and Leeds in the last 48 hours. They claimed that the Whites are in ‘most advanced’ talks to sign the player, with the report saying that the ‘winger is finishing negotiating his new contract’ at Elland Road.
Leeds look set to pip a number of sides, including Sevilla and Club Brugge, to Akhomach’s services and a transfer could be finalised before the end of the month.
Akhomach’s representatives are confident Leeds will remain in the Premier League, and as it stands, those at Elland Road are close to agreeing a free transfer, where he could become the first signing under new head coach Javi Gracia.
The Verdict: Good news
After signing Junior Firpo from the Catalan giants and selling Raphinha, it looks as if a transfer involving the two clubs looks set to materialise again with a move for Akhomach.
He appears to be an in-demand gem, so it is good to see that it is Leeds who look set to win the race for his signature. Of course, a deal won’t be completed until all the relevant paperwork is signed, so the club’s top-flight status could be crucial to a transfer officially going through in the summer.
Previous reports even suggested that Leeds, and by extension sporting director Victor Orta, have already reached a four-year agreement with the teenager, so it’ll be interesting to see if that is correct and if a pre-contact agreement is completed over the coming months.
If it is, Leeds will be hoping Akhomach can make a similar immediate impact to Wilfried Gnonto. The Italian has starred in Yorkshire since joining in the summer from FC Zurich, contributing to six goals in 19 appearances so far, with his displays already catching the eye of Juventus, who have been linked with a summer swoop.
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