It’s been a busy summer at Elland Road with Leeds United spending big in the transfer market to ensure their return to the Premier League isn't a fleeting one.
Robin Koch arrived from Freiburg this summer before Spain international striker Rodrigo Moreno was signed from Valencia for a club-record fee.
Last week also saw the Whites again add Diego Llorente to their ranks, with the defender joining from Real Sociedad.
But the incomings don't appear to be finished. Leeds have made at least one offer for Rangers winger Ryan Kent while Manchester United’s Daniel James is also rumoured to be on the radar.
As well as a winger, it seems Marcelo Bielsa wants a new midfielder added to the squad before the European transfer window closes on October 5.
Udinese’s Rodrigo De Paul has been strongly pursued, but attention has turned towards Michael Cuisance, with Bayern Munich granting the Whites permission to speak to the Frenchman.
So how would Cuisance, presuming a transfer is completed, compare to Leeds United’s current midfield options?
Would the 21-year-old be an upgrade on what Bielsa already has in the Elland Road dressing room? And would he give the Whites that they don’t already have?
Despite being tipped as a natural successor to Thiago Alcantara at Bayern, Cuisance didn’t play much last season, making only three Bundesliga starts and six substitute appearances.
The Frenchman’s versatility is one of his greatest assets, but he is most comfortable at the base of the midfield unit.
Of course, this is a role Kalvin Phillips performs for Leeds, and he does it very well.
So the arrival of Cuisance at Elland Road would pose a tactical question of Bielsa – could he use both the Frenchman and Phillips in the same midfield unit? And if so, would both players be afforded the freedom to play their natural game or would one have to adapt?
Statistically, Cuisance and Phillips are relatively similar. The former averaged 51.5 passes per 90 minutes for Bayern Munich last term while the latter has averaged 50 passes per 90 minutes in the Premier League this season (as per Football Critic).
Cuisance completed 84% of his passes while Phillips has completed 81%.
Where the biggest difference can be found is in the two players’ willingness to progress the ball forward, with Cuisance averaging 20.4 final third passes per 90 minutes compared to Phillips’ average of just 10.7 per 90 minutes.
This, of course, could be down to Bayern's natural dominance of the ball and ability to attack more often than Leeds United.
In Leeds United’s 4-1-4-1 shape, it’s possible Cuisance could operate slightly further forward, putting in direct competition with Pablo Hernandez and Mateusz Klich.
The Frenchman is a deep-lying playmaker but doesn’t contribute much in the way of goal involvements, only one goal and two assists over the last three Bundesliga campaigns.
This means Cuisance would, in theory, fare best next to a creative figure, with Pablo Hernandez the leading candidate for this role. The Spaniard could, however, play on the right side of the midfield unit, opening up space for Klich to play alongside Cuisance as a number eight.
Cuisance averaged 3.6 shots on goal per 90 minutes for Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga last term, with 2.4 of those coming in the box.
This is significantly higher than Klich’s average of just one shot per 90 minutes this season and so Bielsa might be wise to play Cuisance higher up the pitch than was usually the case at Bayern Munich.
The arrival of Cuisance at Elland Road would certainly give Bielsa more options, both in terms of personnel and tactics, in the centre of the pitch.
The 21-year-old wants more game time and he will most likely get that at Leeds United. How he might fit into their midfield, however, is less certain.
