Leeds United were thwarted in their attempts to bolster Marcelo Bielsa’s playing squad during the January transfer window but until the summer, they should forget about the name Brenden Aaronson…
Midfield mess
Indeed, the Yorkshire giants saw two bids of around £15m and £20m rejected by Austrian champions RB Salzburg for the American midfielder and in reality, they were always facing a losing battle.
There was no chance Salzburg were letting the 21-year-old leave halfway through the season, especially when they face Bayern Munich in a Champions League knockout clash later this month.
Leeds are likely to make a successful move for him at the end of the season, should he not garner further interest from some of Europe’s elite teams.
But it does still leave Bielsa light on options in the engine room for the next five to six months.
Forget Aaronson
It’s believed that the recruitment team at Elland Road see another Mateusz Klich in Aaronson.
Of course, it can be argued that it’s in that role – the gap between the midfield, the no.10 and the attack – that the Argentine needs numbers and quality the most.
The Polish international’s form has been sporadic throughout the 2021/22 campaign and whilst he’s been pivotal over the years, he will be turning 32 by the time the new campaign starts, so he will need to be replaced at some point.
And with no Aaronson at the club, Bielsa may need to find a solution from within and he could well have a Klich-like animal in Lewis Bate, who was pictured training alongside the 31-year-old veteran at Thorp Arch recently.
A sign of things to come perhaps?
The 19-year-old gem has been likened to Dutch legend Clarence Seedorf for the way in which he’s able to run games from central midfield – very much in that ‘Klich role’ between the no.6s and no.10.
Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard – now both in management in the Premier League – have been two players that he’s looked up to growing up, only bolstering such claims as the top-flight icons provided plenty of goals and assists from deep.
“His ability to take control of the tempo of a game from deep, dropping into spaces and probing with his mastery of the short and long passing game is where he excels,” once claimed U18 and U23 recruitment analyst, Connor Rowden, to LeedsLive.
Meanwhile, The Athletic’s Phil Hay believes the young 5 foot 6 dynamo is “very gifted” and is a “lovely passer” of the ball, too.
For the time being, it could be Bate who Bielsa needs to call upon to solve the mess in midfield this season. If he delivers, then Aaronson could quickly become something of the past as they won’t need to spend big if they already have the perfect heir to the struggling Klich’s throne right under their nose.
The Argentine must now unleash the teenage sensation in the coming weeks.
AND in other news, Source drops “huge” update from Thorp Arch, fans will be buzzing…
