All we know about Yacine Titraoui as Leeds and Sunderland could do battle again
Leeds are interested in young Algerian midfielder Yacine Titraoui.
The 22-year-old was of interest to both Leeds and Sunderland last summer, as the promoted pair looked to settle down in the Premier League following their ascent from the Championship.
MOT Leeds News reported last week that Titraoui is back on Leeds’ transfer radar ahead of the summer window, while Sunderland may also reignite their interest.
Daniel Farke’s side sit 16th in the standings after Leeds beat Nottingham Forest 3-1 on Friday, while they are gearing up for a big trip to Stamford Bridge to take on Chelsea.
Should he keep the Whites in the Premier League, transfer backing will surely follow over the summer. With this in mind, MOT Leeds News takes a look at an early target in Titraoui, who could make the switch to Elland Road.
Yassine Titraoui is the latest on the Belgian talent belt
Signing for Belgian outfit Sporting Charleroi in 2024, Titraoui joined what has been a fantastic conveyor belt for talent over in Belgium.
Clubs across Europe have looked to make heavy use of the Belgian market in recent years, while the Jupiler Pro League and Challenger Pro Leagues collected a record figure of £332million from outgoing transfers.
The Premier League was at the heart of this, with the likes of Chemsdine Talbi, Senne Lammens, Maxim De Cuyper and more all making the move to England, while Igor Thiago and ex-Leicester man Bilal El Khannouss made big money moves in the summer of 2024.
Titraoui has shown fantastic potential at the heart of the Zebras’ midfield, starting all but two matches as the club themselves aim to reach the European play-offs.
An all-action midfielder, Titraoui has proven himself both with and without the ball in Belgium, with 1.9 tackles, 1.4 interception, and 4.2 successful duels per 90.
| Appearances | 22 |
| Team of the week | 3 |
| Minutes per game | 83 |
| xG | 1.61 |
| xA | 2.25 |
| Average Sofascore rating | 7.25 |
On top of this, the physical demands and style of play in the league are often quite similar to those of England, with many players transitioning seamlessly between the two, much like the very popular Ligue 1 to Premier League path.
Sunderland interest is a big green flag for Leeds
Following both sides’ promotion to the Premier League last May, Sunderland certainly looked the more savvy in the market.
The Black Cats invested in a fantastic blend of both experience and youth, with the likes of Talbi, Habib Diarra and Noah Sadiki complementing the arrivals of Granit Xhaka, Nordi Mukiele and Brian Brobbey, who all have fantastic experience at the elite level of European football.
After Sadiki and Talbi joined from Union Saint Gilloise and Club Brugge respectively, Sunderland dipped into the Belgian market again in January – bringing in Anderlecht wideman Nilson Angulo.
With there clearly an eye for talent on Wearside, Leeds can see a massive green flag when it comes to potentially bringing Titraoui to Elland Road.
Should Leeds secure their Premier League status this term, Titraoui would signal a new direction as the Whites look to fully stabilise themselves and begin building a project to push further up the standings in the coming years.