More exciting than Longstaff: Leeds pursuing deal for "unplayable" £20m ace
da bet nacional： Leeds United made their fourth signing of the summer transfer window on Tuesday when they officially confirmed the arrival of Gabriel Gudmundsson.
da aposte e ganhe： The Sweden international has joined the club on a permanent deal from Ligue 1 side Lille as a direct replacement for Junior Firpo, who left upon the expiry of his contract at the end of last month.
Daniel Farke has also brought in Sebastiaan Bornauw, Jaka Bijol, and Lukas Nmecha to bolster his options across the pitch ahead of the Premier League season.
The Whites are also reportedly interested in on a new central midfielder, as Fabrizio Romano recently reported that the club have bid for Newcastle United’s Sean Longstaff.
Romano claimed that personal terms have already been agreed between the Championship champions and the English midfielder, which suggests that the player is keen to make the move to West Yorkshire.
However, it has since been claimed by Sky Sports that Leeds have had three bids rejected for the Magpies man and that they are currently considering their options.
What Sean Longstaff could bring to Leeds
Above all else, Longstaff would provide much-needed Premier League experience to the midfield, having played 171 times in the division for Newcastle to date.
Of Farke’s current options in the middle of the park, Ethan Ampadu, with 26 appearances, is the only central midfielder who has played in the Premier League before, as Ilia Gruev and Ao Tanaka have only played in the Championship in England.
This means that Longstaff would be the kind of Premier League proven midfielder that the club do not currently have, which is why he could be a very solid addition to the squad for a relatively modest fee of £12m.
The 27-year-old ace, who failed to provide a goal or an assist in the top-flight last season, is not a hugely exciting signing that is likely to get many fans off their seats, but he is a sensible and logical signing.
24/25 Premier League
Sean Longstaff per 90
Percentile rank vs midfielders
Tackles
3.05
Top 19%
Interceptions
0.79
Bottom 35%
Blocks
1.92
Top 8%
Clearances
0.79
Top 46%
Percentage of dribblers tackled
66.7%
Top 4%
Passes blocked
1.35
Top 11%
Errors
0.00
Top 12%
Stats via FBref
As you can see in the table above, Longstaff put up some impressive defensive numbers in a host of key statistics, bar interceptions, in the Premier League for Newcastle last term.
This suggests that he has the potential to be a reliable anchor in front of the back four by making tackles, blocks, and clearances on a regular basis, without making many, if any, errors.
Whilst Longstaff could be a solid signing to add to Farke’s midfield options, if they manage to overcome the hurdles blocking the deal at the moment, the club are also eyeing up a deal for another Premier League star who would be even more exciting.
Leeds pursuing Premier League attacking midfielder
According to journalist Graeme Bailey, Leeds United remain interested in a deal to sign attacking midfielder Emiliano Buendia from Premier League side Aston Villa.
Speaking to Leeds United News, the reporter confirms that the Championship champions are pursuing a move to bring the Argentina international to Elland Road on an initial loan deal.
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Providing an update on the situation, Bailey said: “I am told that Leeds want Buendia on loan with an option to sign him – think Leeds are waiting Villa out.”
It has previously been reported that the Villans are looking for a fee in the region of £20m for the former Norwich City star, although it remains to be seen if that is the exact fee that would be included as the option to make a loan deal permanent.
Bailey stating that Leeds are ‘waiting Villa out’ suggests that this particular transfer saga may not reach a conclusion for a while yet, so this could be one to keep an eye on over the coming weeks.
Why Leeds should sign Emiliano Buendia
The Whites should push to bring the Argentine star to West Yorkshire this summer, on a permanent or a loan deal, because he has the potential to be an excellent addition to Farke’s attacking ranks.
As an attacking midfielder who can score and assist goals in the Premier League, Buendia would be an even more exciting signing for Leeds than Longstaff, who is set to offer a steady defensive presence in the middle of the park.
The 28-year-old magician has scored ten goals and provided 15 assists in 121 appearances in the Premier League in his career to date for Norwich and Villa combined, which shows that he has already shown his quality as both a scorer and a creator in the top-flight.
It was his form for Farke in the Championship at Norwich, though, that really makes this potential transfer an exciting one for Leeds, because he delivered outstanding performances for the German boss on a regular basis.
Emi Buendia (Championship)
18/19
20/21
Appearances
38
39
Goals
8
15
Big chances created
7
18
Key passes per game
2.4
3.1
Assists
12
16
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the right-footed playmaker produced a staggering return of 23 goals and 28 ‘big chances’ created in two seasons in the second tier under the Leeds boss.
Whilst Buendia, who was described as “unplayable” by BBC Norfolk’s Rob Butler, has not put up those numbers in the Premier League yet, playing under Farke again could help him to fulfill his potential in the top-flight.
That is part of what makes this such an exciting potential transfer for the Whites, because they would be reuniting a mercurial talent with the manager who got the best out of him in his career to date.
He also already has experience in the Premier League, and has scored and assisted goals at that level, which suggests that Buendia could hit the ground running next term.
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Overall, the Argentine star would be a more exciting signing than Longstaff, albeit one that would come with more risk attached, because of his attacking potential, which is why the club should push to strike a deal for his services.