Leeds: Norris claims de Paul is interested in move | OneFootball

Leeds must pounce on a deal for Rodrigo de Paul after comments from former midfielder David Norris.

What’s the talk?

Former Leeds midfielder David Norris believes that Udinese midfielder Rodrigo de Paul is interested in a move to Elland Road this summer.

The Athletic’s Phil Hay reported in September 2020 that Leeds’ interest in de Paul was serious and that the club had the finances to do a deal for him. Although, nothing ever materialised in the summer window or the January window earlier this year.

And now, Norris has claimed that the rumours surrounding de Paul and Leeds would have been instantly shut down if the Argentine did not want the transfer. He told Football FanCast:

“Yeah I think so. As players, you normally know the club’s interest way before it comes out into the press so there’s definitely going to have been some contact made and the fact that it’s still got legs to it means both parties are showing an interest.

“If Leeds have touched base with someone in that way and it wasn’t something he was interested in, we wouldn’t be hearing about it until now. It’d be no, the player doesn’t want it, move on.

“So the fact that has happened and it’s still got legs to it definitely means there’s still an interest from the player and there’s clearly massive interest from the club so he would have known of Leeds’ interest before it came out to all of us.”

Earlier this year, Udinese technical director Pierpaolo Marino labelled de Paul as a “world-class” player. He told Radio Crc, as transcribed by FC Inter News:

“We’re talking about a world-class player, a true ‘tuttocampista’.

“De Paul is a tireless worker and I would put him among the best captains I’ve ever had in my teams for the seriousness he always demonstrates.”

Bielsa needs him

Victor Orta must sanction a swoop for de Paul as Leeds head coach Marcelo Bielsa needs the midfielder at the club next season. De Paul enjoyed a sensational season on a personal note in the Serie A for Udinese and his quality could elevate Leeds’ midfield and help them push on further. Whilst Mateusz Klich had a solid campaign in the Premier League for Leeds, with four goals and five assists, de Paul could prove to be an update on the Poland international.

Klich averaged a WhoScored rating of 6.51 in the Premier League, ranking him 16th in the Leeds squad. De Paul, meanwhile, averaged a sublime WhoScored rating of 7.41 in 36 Serie A starts. The Argentine also provided nine goals and nine assists from central midfield, which puts him behind only Patrick Bamford for goals and level with Raphinha for assists.

The £31k-per-week dynamo could, therefore, be a terrific addition to Bielsa’s squad and improve the quality of his options in midfield. De Paul has proven that he can consistently perform at the top level, as shown by his displays in the Serie A, and he still has a few years ahead of him to improve under Bielsa’s coaching at the age of 26. Therefore, Orta must get a deal for de Paul over the line for Bielsa to enjoy his talents in the Premier League next season for Leeds.

AND in other news, Bielsa must land “graceful” £19.8m-rated magician, teammate has backed Leeds’ interest…