Angus Kinnear genius emerges as £6m Dario Essugo transfer news drops at Leeds
Angus Kinnear may have a master plan in mind as a new £6million transfer update drops at Leeds United.
The Whites CEO looks silly at Elland Road at the moment after deciding against signing Alvyn Sanches from FC Lausanne-Sport in the summer.
Sanches was identified as a potential replacement for Georginio Rutter with a £3m asking price named, but a transfer never materialised [Daily Express].
That decision has not worked out well for the West Yorkshire-based club as the 21-year-old has contributed towards 11 goals in 20 games across all competitions for Lausanne-Sport while they hunt for a new number ten.
Kinnear, for one, will be determined to avoid such mistakes in the future and an opportunity has now come knocking on his door.
Leeds United are interested in Dario Essugo
It emerged on Sunday (15 December) morning that Leeds are set to rekindle their interest in Dario Essugo, who is on loan at Las Palmas from Sporting CP.
The Whites are thinking of ways to convince Sporting to call him back from Spain and agree a transfer deal with them in the January transfer window [Alan Nixon].
Kinnear’s side are prepared to offer a loan-to-buy agreement, but the Primeira Liga giants want the purchase to be guaranteed for around £6m whether or not they earn promotion to the Premier League.
The fact that the Championship club have reignited their interest in Essugo after missing out on him in the summer proves the Elland Road data nerds and scouts rate him highly.
Essugo is a complete package
That does not come as a surprise anyway.
Essugo became the youngest debutant in Sporting’s history when he made his first senior appearance for them as a 16-year-old in a league clash with Vitoria de Guimaraes in March 2021.
Although the midfielder is currently on loan in Spain, it is only a matter of time before he establishes himself in Lisbon and later is sold for a hefty sum like Manuel Ugarte and Matheus Nunes in the past.
The 19-year-old is primarily a defensive midfielder, but has all the skills required for a tenacious box-to-box player.
One particular moment in his debut performance for Las Palmas against Osasuna sums up his abilities.
After winning the ball at the edge of his own box, the teenager displays his burst of pace by charging forward and running half of the pitch while fending off a challenger.
He then plays a perfectly weighted pass onto the path of a teammate, who fails to make the most of the resulting 1v1 situation however.
In a single sequence, Essugo displayed his reading of the game, pace, strength and vision.
The Portugal Under-21s is not often among the goalscorers, but definitely has a sting in his shot as evident from the above moment in the same game.
Leeds must not hesitate with Essugo transfer
If the eye test is not enough, Essugo’s numbers back it up too.
Based on the 12 appearances he has made for Las Palmas this season, the midfielder has made 2.32 interceptions per 90 minutes and is in the 99th percentile for the same among other midfielders. (FBRef).
Similarly, he is registering 2.65 clearances every 90 minutes, putting him in the 95th percentile.
Although not among the best, Essugo is also great at carrying the ball into the final third. His tally of 1.32 carries into the final third per 90 is just short of the average in the position.
All in all, there is a lot that the youngster can offer, making him a perfect fit for high intensity and pressing team, which is exactly what Daniel Farke has set up at Elland Road.
While Leeds may be reluctant to commit £6m for Essugo, they could bag a hefty amount from his sale in the future as he looks to be on his way to the top.
If the Whites skip the chance now, it would not be a surprise to see Sporting sell for a significant amount of money a couple of years down the line as they often have.
In other Leeds United news, the Whites are set to offer a three-year contract to one of their targets as the transfer chase comes to a close.
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