Leeds United have already turned heads since returning to the Premier League.
Two seven-goal thrillers against Liverpool and Fulham have seen the Whites pick up three points from their opening two fixtures back in the top flight.
Marcelo Bielsa’s promise of highly entertaining football has already been on show this season but the club’s ambitious transfer activity has also made the headlines.
Rodrigo and Robin Koch have already arrived from other top flight clubs around Europe which will undoubtedly strengthen the Whites throughout this campaign. However, further activity now means Bielsa will have some tough selection decisions to make.
News emerged on Tuesday evening that Leeds had agreed a fee with Real Sociedad for centre-back Diego Llorente. As a key player of the La Liga side, securing the services of the the Spain international is another coup for Leeds.
While the 27-year-old defender might stand as an attractive proposition, there are genuine questions to be asked about how he could fit it into Bielsa’s starting line-up. Given the influence of Liam Cooper at the back, it may be a case of either Koch or Llorente partnering the club captain.
Despite new signings bringing a variety of different qualities, the familiarity of Cooper at the back will likely be vital given his suitability to Bielsa’s unique tactical shapes.
So, what would the differences be between either Koch or Llorente alongside Cooper?
Sticking with Koch and Cooper
Having just the 4-3 win over Fulham to analyse so far makes it difficult to forecast how good these two may be as a defensive pair. Despite conceding three goals to Scott Parker’s side, there were positive signs from Koch and Cooper playing together.
Much of that was due to Leeds’ early dominance in the game, with both defenders providing a solid platform for the likes of Mateusz Klich and others to get forward.
Leeds supporters will know exactly what Cooper will provide at the back but Koch’s potential should also be seen as a positive. His ability to progress the ball forward is one of his key strengths and a vital one given Ben White’s return to Brighton and Hove Albion.
If Koch can continue to develop the defensive side of his game from centre-back, playing alongside Cooper could allow them to become the strong partnership that suits Bielsa’s system.
Llorente partnering Cooper
The overlap of the transfer window and 2020/21 season means that any potential arrivals will need to hit the ground running.
Any chance of Llorente making it into the starting XI as soon as possible would depend on his fitness and ability to learn Bielsa’s instructions.
What Llorente would offer alongside Cooper is more of a balance between defensive and progressive attributes playing out from the back.
The 27-year-old’s ability to dribble out of the backline and find players further forward is undoubtedly a reason for Leeds’ interest, but it would be fair to say that Koch can achieve most of those things as well.
Therefore, Llorente’s tendency to play a more traditional ball-playing role as a defender may provide Bielsa with an assured centre-back alongside Cooper.
That may not entirely match Leeds’ frantic approach to some matches but it could be equally valuable in finding the perfect balance.
Llorente’s likely arrival could be bad news for Koch, but we can expect the German to fight for his place in the team, given how ingrained Cooper is in Bielsa system - and that sort of competition is only good news for Leeds.
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