Leeds United Elland Road
Phil Hay has issued confidence over the chances of Leeds United signing youngster Diogo Monteiro before the window closes.
The Lowdown: Leeds not yet finished spending
Any doubts about whether Jesse Marsch had the backing of the Leeds board have certainly been dismissed this month, as they’ve handed him his fourth Red Bull Group player in Maximilian Wober and a club-record signing in the form of Georginio Rutter.
While that has meant a pretty sizeable January outlay from Andrea Radrizzani, it may not be finished just yet, which could excite Leeds fans amid links to young Portuguese defender Monteiro.
Many Leeds fans and neutrals may look at the potential signing of Monteiro and believe he would be nothing more than a youth-team player, however, that was arguably the feeling when Wilfried Gnonto arrived, and he’s taken England by storm recently with three goals and an assist.
The Latest: Monteiro ‘likely’ to arrive this month
Hay has handed Leeds fans an exciting claim about Monteiro’s likely arrival this month on The Phil Hay Show as the club look to build for the present and future.
He said: “What does look likely is a move for Diogo Monteiro, the Portuguese defender at Servette in Switzerland. He turns 18 shortly, which will allow Leeds to make an offer formal and to have a go at getting that one done, and I think there’s a high likelihood he will come in before the end of the window.”
The Verdict: Orta putting the foundations in place for success
As a more long-term recruit, Monteiro may not be the signing that Leeds fans had been craving as the end of the transfer window edges ever closer, but it should fill them with hope and excitement for the future of their club.
This is because they currently have a boatload of players on their books aged 22 or under including the likes of Crysencio Summerville, Gnonto, Joe Gelhardt, Charlie Cresswell and Illan Meslier, so the future does indeed look bright, even though the present fate of the club is less certain.
The signing of Monteiro would be a sign of Leeds’s scouting network out in Switzerland being very impressive having recruited Gnonto from FC Zurich in the summer, and now Monteiro appears to be nearing an Elland Road switch. However, he could need time to develop given that Swiss professional scout Oliver Zesiger has claimed he’s still ‘undersized‘ for a centre-back.
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