Leeds United have completed the signing of Lukas Nmecha already, with Jaka Bijol set to become their second summer signing imminently.
The 49ers and Daniel Farke are working hard to give Leeds United a Premier League squad. The Whites will need more additions if they are to compete but Jaka Bijol is the next player eyed.
However, they also need at least one new midfielder, with Leeds linked to Noah Sadiki, as well as Sean Longstaff and Habib Diarra in recent weeks.
Leeds need a physical and combative player in their engine room to add depth and competition to Ao Tanaka and Ethan Ampadu for top flight football.
Photo by Ivan Romano/Getty ImagesValentin Atangana eyed by Leeds following Jaka Bijol
Bijol is an intelligent defender and signing after reports from Fabrizio Romano that Leeds agreed a fee with Udinese for Bijol in recent days.
It’s reported that Bijol is set to sign a four-year deal with Leeds. However, they cannot afford to sit still as the Whites will be keen to sign as many of their new-look team as possible before pre-season.
That will allow Bijol and co. to gel and form relationships in training and on the pitch for as long as possible before the first Premier League game on August 18th against Everton.
Now, a different midfield option has emerged as a possibility for Leeds this summer. That’s because Give Me Sport report Valentin Atangana of Stade de Reims is now a target.
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Leeds are interested in winning the race to sign Atangana after Farke and co. were made aware of his availability due to current employers Reims failing to survive relegation from Ligue 1 during the 2024/25 campaign.
There have been suggestions that the French side are open to sanctioning the 19-year-old’s exit for a fee in the region of £9 million after suffering financial losses from relegation, which has caught the attention of Leeds but also “numerous Premier League” teams.
A ball-winning midfielder, Atangana has been compared to N’Golo Kante and the report expands on the fact that Leeds will be looking to make their side even more difficult for opponents to break down next season.
They state that there is a possibility that Atangana will be handed the chance to seal a switch to Elland Road. However, it’s not clear where he is on their shortlist in terms of priority with other midfield options also eyed.
Photo by MB Media/Getty ImagesLeeds United’s transfer strategy gains further clarity
Leeds need physicality, intensity, athleticism, but also aggression in their team and Atangana has that controlled aggression Kante had, making the comparison totally justified in that sense.
Valentin Atangana’s career stats
Bijol brings height and physicality, as well as an aerial threat. But building a squad is about having a mixture of profiles which complement one another.
Having Bijol is great but his speed and athleticism may need supporting bodies around him with more legs to eat up the ground and cover his weakness off the mark, which is where Diarra, Sadiki, and Atangana showcase a connected approach.
Adam Underwood, Robbie Evans, and the rest of the recruitment team have the right ideas with each name involved, but now it’s about getting them over the line alongside Bijol.