Despite being just one place and one point above the Premier League relegation zone, Leeds United are still looking to the future, and one which arguably sees them still in the English top flight.
A narrow defeat at Chelsea at least showed the club’s fans that the players will fight to retain their status until the very end of the 2022/23 season, and as long as they don’t fall through the trap door and go down to the Championship, the right recruiting policy across the summer could ensure they go places.
One player that appears to be of interest to them is Barcelona’s tricky winger, Ilias Akhomach.
According to El Chiringuito in Spain, cited by the Yorkshire Evening Post, the two clubs already seem to have closed a deal for the 18-year-old to swap the sunnier climbs of the continent for the north of England.
A regular for Barca B, Akhomach has played for the club’s first team, but with Ousmane Dembele and former Leeds man, Raphinha, ahead of him in the pecking order, not to mention the likes of Ansu Fati and Ferran Torres should Xavi decide to play them out wide, Ilias’ opportunities to progress are clearly going to be limited.
Good relations clearly exist between the two clubs, and once the youngster’s contract expires at the end of June, he could become a Leeds United player as soon as July 1.
Nothing like a bit of continental flair to get the Elland Road faithful off of their seats.