Although Leeds United have more immediate priorities than the summer transfer window, news that it’s just a matter of time before one Barcelona star joins the Premier League outfit will surely come as a real boost to Javi Gracia and his staff.
Of course, the Elland Road outfit may not be in the English top-flight next season, but that doesn’t appear to be an issue for Ilias Akhomach.
According to MARCA, the youngster had turned down Barcelona’s most recent offer and had also rebuffed Arsenal’s advances, and sources close to the deal suggest that it is close to being sealed.
Leeds were, according to the same report, the first to let the player know of their intention to sign him, and the efforts of Gracia and Victor Orta haven’t gone unnoticed as they appear to have won the 19-year-old striker over.
It goes without saying that all parties would surely prefer that Leeds remain a Premier League rather than Championship club next season, but even the English second-tier will be a step up for the player who has only made three appearance for Barcelona’s first-team per MARCA.
They were against Espanyol and Mallorca in LaLiga and Linares in the Copa del Rey, with the bulk of his appearances coming for Barca B.
A player with his whole career ahead of him and with a decent projection could be exactly the type of player that Gracia needs to either spearhead a challenge to get back to the Premier League at the first attempt, or to ensure that they don’t suffer another relegation battle next season if they manage to stay up.