Espanyol striker Mateo Joseph Fernandez is reportedly undergoing a medical at Leeds United ahead of a move to the club.
Fernandez has been linked with the Whites for a number of months and it now appears as though Leeds have got their man.
The 18-year-old would be set to go straight into Mark Jackson’s under-23s side and can provide cover for Joe Gelhardt, who is now a regular in Leeds’ first team.
His signing would be another indicator of Victor Orta’s plans for the future, as he has placed a huge emphasis on high-quality academy recruitment in the last 18 months.
Ahead of Fernandez’s seemingly imminent arrival, here is everything you need to know on him.
His career so far
Fernandez was born in Spain to two English parents and has been a part of the academy at Espanyol for a number of years where he has honed his skills as a prolific striker.
It was during the 2018/19 season where his goalscoring exploits caught the eye in Spain as he netted 15 goals in 13 games for Espanyol Cadet, the Spanish equivalent of U16 level.
After stepping up to Espanyol Juvenil B (U17) the following season, Fernandez was once again impressive as he netted another 15 goals in 22 matches.
Those performances saw the young striker move into the club’s Juvenil A (U19) side last term and he was equally prolific with 14 goals in 21 games, including a hat trick in the 4-0 win against city rivals Barcelona.
As it became clear that Fernandez was not going to sign a new contract in Catalonia, he fell out of favour and was said to have been frozen out of the squad this season.
What has been said about him?
Javier Rodriguez Alonso claimed in Grada3 : “This outcome is, of course, not the one desired by [Espanyol]. There is regret for the departure of the player, which will happen sooner or later.
“He was considered a player with great potential and if he had agreed to renew he would have been part of the first team’s preseason under Vicente Moreno.”
Spanish journalist Albert Rogé said: “Mateo is on his way to the Premier League. Barcelona tried signing him in the summer but did not meet the financial demands of Espanyol.”
