Former England international Kevin Phillips believes that Rodrigo de Paul would be an ideal fit at Leeds United ahead of a potential summer move to Elland Road.
The Lowdown: De Paul linked with Leeds move
The Udinese midfielder has impressed throughout this season, chipping in with 18 goal contributions in Serie A in the form of nine goals and assists apiece.
The £34.2m-rated Argentina international has been continually linked with a summer move to Leeds, although there has also been reported interest from Liverpool.
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The Latest: Phillips lauds perfect fit
Phillips believes that De Paul could be a great addition to Marcelo Bielsa’s squad if he swaps Udine for Yorkshire, and he told Football Insider that the 26-year-old could fit right in at Elland Road, saying:
“He sounds like a typical Leeds player. They have had players like Raphinha and Jack Harrison this year and they can dribble with it.
“Again, when players like that are linked, Bielsa will have watched him, studied him. He can score goals but the big thing is he can assist and dribble. It wouldn’t surprise me if his work rate is very good.
“That could turn out to be a good singing.”
The Verdict: Sign him up, Marcelo
De Paul’s technical quality stands out, with an average of 3.4 dribbles per game in Serie A in 2020/21. He is also hard-working off the ball, as highlighted by averaging 1.2 tackles per match.
The latter metric would suggest that the 26-year-old is happy to put in the hard yards, which could make him well suited to Bielsa’s physically demanding philosophy at Elland Road, hence Phillips’ description of him as a “typical Leeds player”.
This work ethic, coupled with his natural talent, means that the Leeds manager should view De Paul as a primary transfer target this summer.
In other news, one Leeds player has suffered a potentially huge setback ahead of the summer. Read more here.
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