Leeds United transfer regret to emerge vs Newcastle after what happened in summer
Leeds United were linked with a move to sign a Newcastle star who is likely to play a huge role in Wednesday’s game.
Leeds travel to face Newcastle on Wednesday, looking to continue their impressive seven-game unbeaten run in the Premier League off the back of their well-earned draw against Man United.
The Whites secured a point in the reverse fixture against the Magpies, with neither side able to threaten the opposition’s goal on too many occasions.
However, with Leeds on a good run, and Newcastle solid at home, that is likely to be a different story, and it may bring out the best of one star who was linked with a move to Elland Road.
Leeds wanted to sign Newcastle star in the summer
Sean Longstaff has been immense for Leeds this season, having joined from Newcastle on a permanent deal upon their promotion back to the Premier League.
However, he wasnt the only Tynesider whom the Whites were interested in.
Nick Pope was also heavily linked with Leeds, as they looked to rectify the goalkeeping concerns that emerged in the Championship.
Of course, any deal of that nature failed to materialise, and Lucas Perri was the man who ended up taking the number one shirt at Leeds instead.
However, now that Pope has replaced Aaron Ramsdale under Eddie Howe, the Magpies have been solid defensively, and he will have a big part to play in keeping the Whites at bay.
Leeds will have regrets over Nick Pope saga
Perri has looked shaky for Leeds all season, while Pope has showcased his reputation of being a top-quality shotstopper in the Premier League.
Via FotMob, Perri has a woeful 58.3 per cent save percentage so far this season, which is significantly lower than Pope’s 75 per cent.
The Newcastle keeper has prevented 0.79 goals, while Perri has conceded one more than expected based on the quality of shots faced.
Having missed out on his signing in the summer, Leeds will certainly regret not pushing harder, and if Pope can maintain his recent performance levels, he could prove to be the reason Leeds see their unbeaten run come to an end.