Leeds United are believed to be interested in signing Facundo Colidio from Inter Milan this summer, according to a report by FC Inter News.
Marcelo Bielsa is understood to be an admirer of the former Boca Juniors academy player, whilst the possibility of teaming up with the Argentine manager could appeal to the 19-year-old attacker.
Inter are said to want between €8-€10m (£7.3-£9.1m) for the South American and talks between Andrea Radrizzani’s ‘ambitious’ Leeds and the Italians are expected to start imminently.
Whilst not a lot may be known about Colidio on these shores, the youngster has certainly earned some glowing reviews in his short career to date.
The 19-year-old, who currently represents Argentina at the Under-20 level, has already proved he can be a handful in front of goal for the Serie A outfit when given the opportunity to get minutes on the pitch. Despite not getting a chance to play in the first-team, he was highly successful with the youth side in their UEFA Youth League campaign as he managed to score a goal in every single game he played, bagging five in total (Transfermarkt).
World Football Scouting compiled a report on the Argentine back in 2018 and highlighted some of his strengths with a rather exciting review. They stated:
“Colidio is a dynamic centre forward who punishes opposing defences at the first opportunity, perhaps after having been anonymous for many minutes. Physically he is not very tall and muscular, this conditions him a bit in the aerial game, but allows him to have greater mobility, favouring with his movements on the wings the insertions of the midfielders. Thus Colidio turns out to be a fairly complete centre-forward, technically valid and with a remarkable speed of execution. It is the classic Argentine “puntero” that fights on all the balls, which puts on the typical South American “garra”. Shooting, powerful accelerations and even the “polite” right foot (but also the left is not so bad), are the other strengths of his repertoire.”
They also compared him and his playing style to that of Gonzalo Higuain and noted how upset the fans of Boca Juniors were when he was sold, further suggesting that he is a player touted for great things in the game in the future.
Going by the scout report, he could be an individual that thrives under Bielsa and one that would be perfect for Leeds going forward.
With Kemar Roofe thought to be closing in on a move to Anderlecht (Daily Mail), additional firepower is going to be needed at Elland Road this summer. Patrick Bamford only managed to find the back of the net on ten occasions, whereas Tyler Roberts only managed three goals when given the opportunity to play (BBC Sport).
Bielsa is also noted for playing youth and appearing to have the policy of ‘if you’re good enough, you’re old enough’, with the likes of Jack Clarke, Ryan Edmundson and even Roberts being handed the chances to impress in his first-team.
With Colidio being as young as he is, if he were to join Leeds, it would not be a surprise to see him in the first-team from the beginning.
On paper, Colidio looks like a really exciting prospect and a talent that could thrive under Bielsa and bring the excitement and buzz to those in the stands at Elland Road.
The 19-year-old clearly looks to be a striker with the potential to go a very long way in the world of football with the right guidance and, perhaps, could be worthy of a ‘wonderkid’ label.
Whether Leeds look to spend between £7.3-£9.1m for his signature remains to be seen, but should they receive an alleged £7m for Roofe, then they may have no choice but to try and make a deal happen, especially if the lure of working with Bielsa is an attractive option for Colidio.
Leeds fans, would you like to see Colidio at Elland Road ahead of the upcoming campaign? Let us know your thoughts by sharing them in the comments section below!
