Martin Samuel takes ‘real Messi’ swipe at Brenden Aaronson at Leeds United amid Newcastle United transfer news
Journalist Martin Samuel has taken a swipe at Leeds United attacker Brenden Aaronson, who was known as the “Medford Messi” in New Jersey before his switch to Elland Road.
The swipe comes amid the transfer news reported by The Times’ Samuel that Newcastle United are eager to sign Yankuba Minteh, a winger known as the “Gambian Messi.”
Aaronson has scored just one goal from his 38 Leeds appearances since his summer move from Red Bull Salzburg.
“Newcastle United are very keen on Yankuba Minteh, a teenage winger, who plays for Odense BK in Denmark, and is known as the Gambian Messi,” Samuel wrote for The Times. “He’s meant to be good, but he won’t be Lionel Messi. There’s only one Messi and he plays in Paris.
“The last Messi to travel to these shores was Brenden Aaronson of Leeds United – the Medford Messi as he was known in New Jersey.
“Medford Messi can’t get in the starting XI of a team in the bottom three right now, whereas one imagines the real Messi might. So there’s a difference.”
Underwhelming debut campaign
Aaronson arrived at Elland Road with plenty of expectation on his shoulders, with that expectation perhaps a factor in his underwhelming season so far.
The constant change of managers might have also played a factor, but there is something to be said of his struggles to impress both Javi Gracia and Sam Allardyce.
And even under his compatriot Jesse Marsch, Aaronson managed to find the back of the net only once, with that return really not good enough for an attacking player in the Premier League.
It does, of course, take certain players time to settle into life in England, with Leeds fans desperately hoping that is the case with the young American.
There is undoubtedly a talented player there, and perhaps he can really come alive next season, whether that be in the Premier League or the Championship.
He showed his goalscoring ability with his well-taken goal against Chelsea early on in the campaign, but the attacker, like Leeds in general, has really struggled since that moment.
In other Leeds United news, one EFL club chief has refused to be drawn on links between him and the vacant director of football role after Victor Orta’s departure.