Leeds United: Marcelo Bielsa eyeing Turkey star Okay Yokuslu | OneFootball

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Football FanCast

·17 June 2021

Leeds United: Marcelo Bielsa eyeing Turkey star Okay Yokuslu

Article image:Leeds United: Marcelo Bielsa eyeing Turkey star Okay Yokuslu

Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa is keen on signing Turkey star Okay Yokuslu this summer as he looks to reinforce his midfield options ahead of the new Premier League season.

What’s the story?

Recent reports from Faro de Vigo (via Sport Witness) suggested that the Whites have identified Yokuslu as a potential transfer target, with the Turkey international having joined West Brom on loan back in January from La Liga side Celta Vigo.


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Article image:Leeds United: Marcelo Bielsa eyeing Turkey star Okay Yokuslu

And now, Spanish publication Eldesmarque claim that the midfielder is a man in demand, with Leeds, Crystal Palace and West Brom all interested in signing him this summer.

Premier League quality

The 6 foot 3 Yokuslu was a revelation after joining West Brom back in the January transfer window, establishing himself as a key part of former boss Sam Allardyce’s side and earning some rave reviews along the way.

His teammate at the Hawthorns, Kyle Bartley, raved about the kind of ability the holding midfielder possesses, saying: “He’s been brilliant. He seems to have settled in really quickly which is always important for a player at a new club. You can see already that he’s a really good player.

“I thought he was great against Manchester United on his full debut and then he backed that up with another impressive performance on Saturday against Burnley. He’s tenacious. He’s good on the ball. He’s calm and composed.”

Article image:Leeds United: Marcelo Bielsa eyeing Turkey star Okay Yokuslu

And, former Leeds goalkeeper Paul Robinson has previously insisted Yokuslu would be a very good signing for the Whites, claiming that he has shades of Kalvin Phillips to his game.

Speaking to Football Insider, he said: “He will be highly sought-after this summer. He plays in a very similar way to Kalvin Phillips and that is the type of player that Leeds need.”

Yokuslu is currently at EURO 2020 and started in Turkey’s 2-0 defeat to Wolves on Wednesday, and Bielsa will no doubt be keeping a close eye on how the midfielder performs.

Given that he plays like Phillips and has that tenacity to his game that Bartley is a big fan of, he could be a very shrewd, Premier League quality signing for Leeds.

It would give Bielsa some valuable cover for Leeds’ talisman in the middle of the park, and ensure the Whites don’t see a real drop-off in quality if he finds himself injured or out of the side.

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