MOT View: Door opens for Leeds to sign reported defender target but he’s no Ben White
Leeds United have been handed an opportunity to sign reported target Samuel Yohou on a free transfer after he was released by Paris FC.
Paris have announced on their official website that Yohou, 28, has exited the Ligue 2 club after earning 76 appearances in the last three seasons.
Why does this news involve Leeds? Le10Sport reported last month that Yohou is a defender who is admired by Marcelo Bielsa and the Whites are keen on striking a deal to sign him.
Coventry and Italian club Crotone were also said to be interested in the French centre-back but Leeds sounded as though they were keener than anyone to land the player.
Bielsa reportedly admires Yohou’s physicality, maturity and technical qualities but we cannot see how the free agent can be any better than what Leeds already have.
It is going to be difficult for Leeds to sign Ben White once his loan deal at Elland Road expires in the summer and Gaetano Berardi might also be on his way when his contract ends. It means that Leeds will almost certainly be in the market for a new defender.
If Victor Orta needs to get a replacement in on the cheap than Yohou’s availability will prick his ears but we do not hold much hope of him being a stand-out defender in the Premier League.
Paris FC won just four of 21 league games when Yohou played this season but without him, they were unbeaten in seven games, winning three.
Paris did better without Youhou than they did with him and his stats on WyScout don’t paint the best of pictures either.
Youhou’s averaged fewer successful defensive duels, fewer passes, fewer successful aerial duels and fewer recoveries per 90 minutes of league football this season than White.
It is going to be hard for Leeds to sign someone whose numbers stack up to Whites but they at least need to get close to the on-loan Brighton man.
Yohou doesn’t even compare to White but as a fourth or fifth choice centre-back, he might come in handy every now and then.
In other Leeds United news, fans are thrilled with the club being liked with signing “one of the hottest prospects in Europe”.