Leeds United are reportedly interested in signing AZ Alkmaar striker Vangelis Pavlidis ahead of the summer window after another wonderful campaign in the Netherlands – a player Arne Slot wanted to sign at Feyenoord back in 2021.
Pavlidis, 24, has been in superb goalscoring form since joining AZ from Willem II in the summer of 2021. His goals at Willem II – 33 in 82 games – earned him a move to one of the Eredivisie’s biggest sides in AZ. He has starred since.
Becoming a Greece regular with 29 caps, Pavlidis has scored a huge 44 goals in 80 games – laying on another 17 in assists. This term, he has 29 goals and assists in 29 games. Jeunes Footeux say Leeds and Aston Villa are keen.
A move would likely cost either Premier League side a princely sum of £22m. But, it could have been very different for Pavlidis. Back in 2021, Slot had agreed to take over at Feyenoord from the beginning of the 2021-22 season.
Indeed, Voetbal International said then that Slot wanted to sign Pavlidis from Willem II. Instead, it was his old side Alkmaar that pipped him to the signing of the Greek striker. Slot of course, was strongly linked with the Leeds job.
Leeds interested in Pavlidis: Slot wanted him at Feyenoord in 2021
A strange turn of events that sees Slot leave AZ to join Feyenoord and then miss out to his old side in the race to land Pavlidis. Now, Slot could miss out on Pavlidis for a second time – if Leeds do manage to nab his signature.
There is no doubting that Pavlidis is a top striker with a big future ahead of him. If he continues to score at the rate he is doing, he can easily go on to have a career in the Premier League. If that is at Leeds, remains to be seen.
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