Robbie Earnshaw gushes over Leeds United-linked Eljif Elmas
Leeds United have every reason to be excited about speculation linking the Yorkshire giants with a move for Napoli star Eljif Elmas.
Ezgjan Alioski may have had the attention of Leeds fans when North Macedonia have played at the European Championships so far but with one game left for them to play, it’s worth keeping an eye out for 21-year-old attacker Elmas.
That’s because The Athletic have reported that the Whites are interested in signing the forward, who’s described as “an exciting young talent”.
Napoli have seen a change of manager in recent weeks and it is understood that could have an impact on Elmas’ future at the Serie A club with Benfica and Borussia Dortmund also keen on him.
Speaking this week, former Wales and Cardiff striker Robbie Earnshaw waxed lyrical about Elmas’ ability and tipped the North Macedonian to have a massive future in the game amid speculation linking him with a move to Elland Road.
“He has this magic in him. He has the ability to create something out of nothing,” said Earnshaw on ITV on Thursday when North Macedonia lost to Ukraine.
“Great movement, intelligent, he understands spacing and time and he can finish.
“He’s an interesting player because he’s still young, but when you’ve got Pandev next to you it’s an education.
“He’s the next big star and he’s going to take over from [Goran] Pandev.”
Earnshaw is bound to have done his homework on Elmas and we love what he’s saying about the Napoli star.
This season, Elmas made 44 appearances in all competitions for Napoli, scoring three goals and supplying one assist in the process. However, only three of his Serie A appearances were starts.
Stats by WhoScored show that had a 90.8 per cent pass accuracy when he played in Serie A, showing that he’s definitely someone who knows how to find a teammate.
UnderStat shows that Elmas also averaged 1.45 passes that led to a shot every 90 minutes of league playing time as he played mainly as a central mdifielder.
However, with North Macedonia, he’s played almost as a forward alongside veteran striker Pandev.
In the 2-1 defeat to Ukraine on Thursday, Elmas managed to fire two shots at goal, have a pass accuracy of 87 per cent and complete two dribbles [WhoScored].
Considering the gulf in quality between the two sides, that isn’t bad at all and we have to remember he’s only a 21-year-old.
Leeds could do with a new attacking midfielder this summer and we’re genuinely thrilled by the speculation linking us with Elmas.
As Earnshaw says, he’s a star of the future.
In other Leeds United news, the Whites have agreed a £13million deal plus bonuses to complete a transfer on July 1.