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Leeds United: Personal terms agreed for Espanyol starlet
Leeds United have agreed on personal terms with 17-year-old Espanyol attacker Mateo Joseph, according to reports in Spain.
The Lowdown: Starlet from Spain
The teenage sensation’s contract is ending at Espanyol at the end of the season and numerous clubs have made their move to lure him away from the Catalan side, including rivals Barcelona and Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.
Yet to make an appearance for the Espanyol first team, Joseph has been described as ‘one of the pearls‘ of the Espanyol youth set up and could now be set for a move to the Premier League, as it seems Victor Orta is making use of connections in his homeland.
Is Mateo Joseph a good signing for Leeds?
Yes
No
The Latest: Personal terms agreed
According to Diego Balbontin (via @leedsutdacademy) on Twitter, United have agreed on personal terms with the attacker, but are yet to agree a fee with Espanyol regarding a transfer fee.
Joseph has a £1.2million release clause inserted in his contract and Leeds have fallen short with their attempts so far, with their latest offer of roughly £425k missing the mark by about £775k.
The English-born talent was on Manchester City’s radar following the departure of Sergio Aguero in the summer, but Leeds look set to lock up a deal if Orta ups his offer.
The Verdict: Good signing?
Leeds’ progression and fine track record of recruiting young players and either selling them on or nurturing them into first-team players look set to continue with this signing.
However, with Patrick Bamford leading the Leeds frontline now, Bielsa has Joe Gelhardt and Sam Greenwood already at the club and we are still waiting for their chance in the first team.
Learning from a striker like Bamford, who has experienced a tricky rise to where he is now, will provide Joseph with a good starting step in English football, but don’t expect to see him in and around the senior squad any time soon, with a path through the under-23 set-up most likely.
In other news, this Leeds United youngster has received backing to appear for the first team. Find out more here.
