Report – 24y/o Leeds target could be available for cut-price fee this summer
Leeds United could wrap up a cut-price deal for reported target Lucas Martinez Quarta this summer, according to Argentinian outlet TyC Sports.
The River Plate centre-back has emerged as a target for Marcelo Bielsa’s men in recent weeks, with Doble Amarilla reporting that the Whites are keen to snap him up.
It is understood that the player has a release clause written into his contract worth around £19.7 million.
But Leeds may not have to meet that price tag to secure their man.
The 24-year-old is entering the last year of his contract in Buenos Aires, and that, coupled with the financial impact of the Coronavirus pandemic, could convince his current employers to offload him at a reduced price.
There are plenty of reasons to be excited by Martinez Quarta, and those reasons are only heightened by the prospect of picking him up for a cheaper fee.
For one thing, his stats are very impressive.
Over the course of this season, he has averaged 12.88 recoveries per 90 minutes this season compared to Ben White’s 12.4, while the Argentina international has also made more clearances and interceptions per match, as per Wyscout.
He has some fairly significant admirers too.
Inter Milan legend Javier Zanetti, for instance, claims that he is “the most interesting [player] in Argentina”, as quoted by Goal.
And you can guarantee that Bielsa wouldn’t be wasting his time on his young compatriot unless he was convinced that there was something worth pursuing.
Only time will tell if we can actually get this one over the line, but at the very least, you would imagine a reduced price tag will be very tempting for a player of such obvious merits.
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