Leeds hot on the heels of int’l centre-mid who moved for £15.2m last August – report
Leeds United and West Ham are in pursuit of Cagliari midfielder Nahitan Nandez, according to Gazzetta dello Sport, as translated by Sport Witness.
The Italian newspaper claims in their latest print edition that Nandez, 24, could be on his way out of Cagliari this summer despite only joining the Serie A club in a deal worth £15.2million from Boca Juniors last August.
Not much is said about the clubs keen to take Nandez but it is understood that Leeds and West Ham are “on his trail”.
Cagliari’s stance on Nandez is a surprising one.
The Uruguay international only joined them 12 months ago and played 38 times in all competitions for the Italian club last season, scoring two goals and supplying four assists in the process.
The former Boca central midfielder missed all but three Serie A matches last term and they were due to suspension.
Cagliari must be trying to raise funds but their willingness to offload Nandez after playing such a key role for them in his debut season is bound to raise a red flag for Leeds.
Do Leeds need a new midfielder anyway?
Nandez is a central midfielder who also played on the right-wing, as a defensive midfielder and even as a right-back last season [WyScout].
While it would be handy to have someone that versatile, they are all positions where Marcelo Bielsa has options.
Jamie Shackleton, who has just been handed a new long-term contract, covers most of those positions while Adam Forshaw is set to return from injury to add further depth to the central area.
However, will Forshaw be able to return to the form that he enjoyed at the start of last season? And what happens if Phillips is injured?
We think Leeds do need cover in these positions but perhaps it isn’t the most pressing concern for the Whites.
In other Leeds United news, the Whites are ready to splash the cash on signing this Spaniard.