Rodrigo De Paul responds when asked how close he was to joining Leeds
Last autumn Leeds United were heavily linked with a move for Rodrigo De Paul and the midfielder added fuel to those rumours when he responded to a tweet from The Square Ball.
The podcast had tweeted about the deal, suggesting it hinged on the two clubs agreeing a fee, to which the Argentine responded, “Yes” along with a fingers-crossed emoji, per The Athletic.
Several months later the Argentine is a bit more coy on the matter, and he was asked about the tweet and the speculation directly by The Athletic.
He responded, “There’s been a lot of talk but I’m relaxed about it. My focus is on the next game.
“It’s not easy to leave here. At Udinese, it’s a family, the club provides you with everything even the simplest things so you can concentrate on your football.”
Change of tune
We will never truly know if Rodrigo De Paul was set on joining Leeds last year but it did seem he fancied the move.
Now circumstances are a lot different.
The Udinese star has gone from strength to strength in Serie A with 3.4 dribbles per game this term, the most in the league, per WhoScored.
Leeds, meanwhile, have also improved, and we have undoubtedly established ourselves as a Premier League outfit, with an eye on Europe.
But while that should appeal to De Paul, he will no doubt have suitors from other reputable clubs – Champions League Atalanta and Juventus have been linked [Calcio Mercato].
The opportunity to stay in Italy with a young family could deter him away from Elland Road, should we come in for him, and it appears we may have missed our chance to get him.
Nevertheless, Victor Orta should be looking at similar midfield players, as it is a position in the squad that could certainly do with strengthening.
In other Leeds United news, ‘Get rid’, ‘Deadwood’ – Leeds Super Fans urge club to sell attacker after major contract update.