By Craig Scott

14th Apr, 2021 | 7:15am

Lyon and Marseille join Leeds in race to sign left-back Romain Perraud

Leeds United have been joined by Lyon and Marseille in the race to sign Brest left-back Romain Perraud, according to the Daily Mail.

The newspaper claims Perraud, 23, is getting a reputation for being one of the best young players in his position and is now attracting attention from both sides of the English Channel.

It is understood Leeds want Perraud to be their starting left-back next season with Ezgjan Alioski’s contract expiring in the summer and him being in talks over a move to Galatasaray.

Major improvement on Alioski

While we love Gjanni, there’s no denying that Perraud will be a better left-back than the sometimes-erratic Northern Macedonia international.

Most importantly, Perraud is a natural left-back.

The boyhood Chelsea fan has made 31 appearances in all competitions for Brest this season, scoring three goals and supplying five assists in the process. Most importantly, all of those appearances have seen him play as a left-back or left-sided wing-back.

According to stats by Wyscout, Perraud has averaged 4.17 interceptions, 6.19 recoveries and 2.47 clearances per 90 minutes of Ligue 1 game-time at Brest this season. He’s also won 65.2 per cent of defensive duels and made 87.5 per cent of the sliding tackles he’s attempted.

Alioski, on the other hand has averaged 3.46 interceptions, 8.26 recoveries and 1.78 clearances per 90 minutes in the Premier League while also winning 62.3 per cent of defensive duels and making 47.1 per cent of sliding tackles.

Based on those numbers, it’s clear that Perraud stands out defensively and could add a bit more balance and stability to Marcelo Bielsa’s side when it comes to defending.

In other Leeds United news, this Yorkshire-born pundit has tipped a former Leeds player to make a return to Elland Road.