Leeds are in the race to sign “exceptional” £30m+ star

Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke watched on as his side held Spanish side Valencia to a 1-1 draw at Elland Road in their latest pre-season friendly on Saturday.

The Whites are continuing to prepare for their Premier League opener against Everton later this month, as they return to the top-flight after a two-year absence.

Dutch centre-forward Joel Piroe smashed the ball in from close range to equalise against Valencia on Saturday, and it remains to be seen what kind of role he will play next season.

The former Swansea star scored 19 goals in the Championship in the 2024/25 campaign, but Football Insider claimed that the club have doubts over his ability to make the step up to the Premier League.

Whilst there are doubts over Piroe’s suitability to play at that level, it is also worth adding that Farke will need to find goals across the pitch from his players, not just from his centre-forward.

When Leeds were promoted under Marcelo Bielsa back in 2020, the Argentine head coach had a host of stars who carried a threat in the final third, including Mateusz Klich.

Why Leeds need the next Mateusz Klich

Farke needs to find his own version of the Poland international, because the central midfielder was a crucial part of the club’s success when they returned to the Premier League five years ago.

Klich produced five goals and seven assists in his first two years in the English top-flight with the Whites, which shows that he offered a decent threat from a midfield position.

The right-footed dynamo was particularly important to the team in the 2020/21 campaign, immediately after promotion, with a return of four goals and five assists for Bielsa.

Klich handled the step up to the Premier League, after a haul of six goals and five assists in the Championship in the season before that, to make himself a valuable player for the West Yorkshire outfit.

As you can see in the table above, the Polish star ended up with an above-average goal tally for his position, despite having a below-average xG created for him.

The former FC Twente star also ranked highly among his positional peers in a host of creative statistics, which shows that he helped to create goals for his teammates as well as offering a goal threat himself.

Providing attacking contributions from midfield helped to take the weight off the likes of Rodrigo and Patrick Bamford, which is why Leeds need to find their own version of Klich to ease the pressure on Piroe.

Leeds in the race to sign Championship star

According to A Bola, as relayed by Sport Witness, Leeds United are one of a number of teams in the race to sign Southampton central midfielder Mateus Fernandes this summer.

The report claims that Leeds, Aston Villa, and Atletico Madrid are all interested in a deal to snap up the Portugal U21 international before the end of the transfer window.

It reveals that the 21-year-old talent, who only signed for the Saints from Sporting last year, is open to making a return to the Premier League after being relegated earlier this year.

Sport Witness adds that A Bola previously reported that Southampton are looking for a fee in excess of €35m (£30m) for the midfield talent this summer.

It now remains to be seen whether or not Leeds, or either of the other two interested clubs, are prepared to spend that much on Fernandes to bolster their squad.

Why Leeds should sign Mateus Fernandes

The Whites should push to win this race with Aston Villa and Atletico Madrid for the Southampton central midfielder because he could be Farke’s own version of Klich at Elland Road in the coming season.

Like the former Leeds star, Fernandes is a central or attacking midfield player who provides dynamic and energetic performances in the middle of the park, adding a threat at the top end of the pitch.

Southampton finished rock bottom of the Premier League with just 16 points and two wins on the board, which means that the midfielder did not get to showcase the very best of his abilities, as he was in a team that struggled badly week-in-week-out.

However, the 21-year-old talent, who was once praised for his “exceptional” passing quality by analyst Ben Mattinson, was still able to end the season with a solid return of three goals and six assists in all competitions for the Saints, which is not dissimilar to Klich’s haul from the 2020/21 campaign for Leeds.

Fernandes created six ‘big chances’ and 3.64 xA in the Premier League in a dismal Southampton side, which suggests that he could offer a very decent threat in the final third in a team that is better equipped for a shot at avoiding relegation from the division.

The Leeds target, who ranked within the top 11% of midfielders in the division for successful take-ons (1.52) per 90, was able to shine and showcase some of his qualities on the pitch in spite of the team that he was playing for.

As you can see in the table above, his statistics in the Premier League last season earned him comparisons to some top players in the division, including the likes of Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali, and Joao Gomes.

The dynamic midfield star, who averaged 3.3 tackles and interceptions per game, could come in as Farke’s own Klich because he is a Premier League proven midfielder who can provide quality in front of goal and out of possession by winning tackles and interceptions for his side.

That is why the Whites should be pushing to bring Fernandes to the club to alleviate some of the pressure from their attacking players, by signing a midfielder who can offer a threat at the top end of the pitch.