Dean Jones has told Give Me Sport that Leeds United are keen to wrap up a deal for Borussia Dortmund left-back Raphael Guerreiro quickly – but it might be a difficult one to get over the line, given the stature of the player.
Guerreiro, 28, is likely to be taking a bit of a break after Portugal were knocked out of the World Cup on Saturday. Their next match is against Augsburg on January 22. But it might be that Guerreiro is on the move ahead of that fixture.
Indeed, if Leeds have their way, the Euro 2016 winner has already played his last game for the German club. He is out of contract at the end of the season and likely to be available on the cheap during the winter window, at Dortmund.
The German club need to decide if they want to keep Guerreiro until the summer. Whether they are willing to let him go on a free, or bring in a small-ish fee for his services. Speaking to GMS, Jones said Leeds want a deal very soon.
“Leeds really want here is a long-term solution. They don’t want to have to go back and find the next answer every year or so. That’s their vision. They like Guerreiro. It’s not necessarily an easy one. They’d like to try to get this done soon.”
Jones: Leeds keen to wrap up deal for Guerreiro quickly
Firstly, what a stunning signing this would be for Leeds. Perhaps not Victor Orta’s normal style, signing a player already in their peak. But, Guerreiro is worth breaking the normal transfer approach to sign. A wonderful left-back.
The issues are, that he is a Champions League player. He is good enough for most clubs in the competition. So, to sign him for Leeds would be a real, real coup. That means, that other clubs, bigger than Leeds, will be pursuing a move.
Convincing Guerreiro to move to Elland Road will be tricky, too. But Orta is a genius when it comes to sitting down with a player and attempting to get them to Leeds. Ask Tyler Adams, who was presented with a 30-page presentation.
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