Good morning Leeds United fans. Here is your morning digest for Thursday, December 3.
Diego Llorente provides selection headache
Marcelo Bielsa will be pleased to welcome Diego Llorente back into the squad as the Spanish centre-back makes his return from injury.
That is according to Gabriel Agbonlahor, who believes that Llorente will provide Bielsa with a selection headache at centre-back as he competes with Robin Koch and Liam Cooper for a starting role.
Leeds signed Llorente for £18million in the summer, but the 29-year-old has not yet featured due to injury. Footage this week showed him in training, which will excite Bielsa, says Agbonlahor.
“Just in general, every manager will love a full 25-man squad,” he told Football Insider. “We’re coming into a busy time of year with Christmas soon so you’re going to need all your players available.
“There’s going to be a lot of injuries, a lot of muscle injuries especially. So he’ll just be happy to get as many players available as possible to give him and the team some competition and he may have a selection headache now.”
How Leeds can circumnavigate Brexit rules
On Tuesday, new rules regarding the transfer window were unveiled. The points-based system has been agreed upon by the Premier League, EFL, FA Cup, and the Home Office, and it will see team’s ability to sign foreign players reduced.
The headline issue is the limitation of under-21 players. Teams will only be allowed to sign three under-12 foreign players. They will also be prohibited from signing under-18 players from abroad.
However, as Joe Donnohue writes for Leeds Live, Andrea Radrizzani has a way to circumnavigate such rules.
Radrizzani has previously spoken of his desire to acquire controlling stakes in other teams and create a network of clubs, similar to the City Football Group, which own Manchester City, New York City FC in MLS, and Melbourne City in Australia, among others.
These feeder clubs could sign players that Leeds are unable to sign as a result of the new Brexit rules, meaning that the club does not miss out on potential signings.
You can read more about how Leeds can get around the Brexit rules here.
Mauricio Pochettino tipped as Bielsa successor
Former Leeds goalkeeper Paul Robinson has tipped Mauricio Pochettino to succeed Bielsa at Elland Road, although he admitted that the succession is unlikely to happen.
Pochettino has been without a club since he was sacked by Tottenham Hotspur a year ago. He is great friends with Bielsa, and Robinson believes he would be the perfect candidate to succeed the 65-year-old.
“I'd love to see him at Leeds. I'd absolutely love to see him being Marcelo Bielsa's successor,” he told Ladbrokes, as quoted by The Mirror.
“I can't see Poch hanging around and waiting for Bielsa to decide that he's going to retire, or move on.
“But we've heard about Pep Guardiola and Pochettino talk about Bielsa - they hold him in such high esteem and high regard.
“Apprentice taking over from the master would seem like a natural progression. That's fantasy football talk and what you'd like to see for your hometown team and I can't really see it happening but I'd love it.”
