MOT View: Cash crisis could see Leeds landing bargain buy in blistering form
Leeds United will need to strengthen if they secure promotion this season and all eyes will be on the left-back spot.
Stuart Dallas and Gjanni Alioski have done a brilliant job there but neither are natural left-backs.
Leeds’ great hope was Barry Douglas but he’s never replicated what he did for Wolves – and they didn’t think he was good enough for the Premier League.
It’s been reported by AS that Leeds are following Elche left-back Juan Cruz “closely” and there are a few details that make for fascinating reading.
First is his recent form.
He’s got eight assists this season and that’s helped push Elche into the play-off spots.
Of these eight assists, five have come in the last six games.
It reminds us of the form of Leeds right-back Luke Ayling, who has been on fire in front of goal in the last five games.
AS report that if Elche miss out on promotion they’re going to struggle financially – with wages particularly.
It could mean they don’t have the luxury of keeping Cruz for the final year of his deal and may be forced to sell. The player has a £3.5m release clause.
Interestingly, this doubles if Elche get promoted. And getting a player who would have cost £7m but for a few fixtures going his way for £3.5m looks a real bargain.
We don’t know a lot about Cruz but some of his strengths make him sound like an ideal Bielsa signing.
He’s described as “indefatigable” and having enormous physical potential. Bielsa demands a lot from his players and in particular his wide men.
Cruz is also strong on set pieces and his recent run of assists show that he’s in the form of his career.
Cruz might be an attack-minded player but he can also play at centre-back and that’s another attractive quality for Leeds, who aren’t currently blessed with depth at the back.
At £3.5 million he could prove to be a real bargain, given his blistering form for Elche. However, if the Spanish club are promoted to the top division, £7m could be a step too far for a player who hasn’t played top-flight football.
In other Leeds United news, Sky journalist: This is what a PL club owner has told me about Leeds being handed promotion