Barcelona legend Patrick Kluivert has picked out a Leeds United summer transfer target as one player to watch out for.
It appears that Ilias Akhomach will leave Camp Nou when his contract expires at the end of the season. And according to Sport, Leeds are at the forefront of the race to sign the 18-year-old.
The teenager has made his Barca debut. But the report from Sport claimed that he was being offered more elsewhere.
Kluivert backs Leeds target Akhomach for bright future
While it is not clear what Leeds are reportedly offering, you would imagine that they are prepared to make a substantial bid considering that they do appear to be one of the leaders in the race.
And if the Whites needed any more convincing that he is worth pursuing, perhaps they can take some confidence from an interview Kluivert has given to Barca Blaugranes.
One of the questions put to the Dutchman focused on the academy players at La Masia to look out for.
“Well, he’s already come in a few times, that’s Angel Alarcon. He’s a good player,” he told Barca Blaugranes.
“Yamal Lamine is a very good player. He’s 16 years old and already trained with the first team. There are a little bit of discussions having at the moment regarding him, but he’s played with the national Under 17s team with Spain. He’s a very promising striker, left-footed.
“I had another player, Ilias Akhomach. For me, he’s a good player as well. He made his debut quickly last year.
“There are a few others running around who haven’t made his debut yet. Have you heard of Pau Torres?. There are a lot of young players knocking on the door, but you haven’t seen them yet.”
Of course, Leeds’ hopes of signing Akhomach are surely going to depend on which division the Whites are playing in next year.
His pathway into the team may be clearer if we are in the Championship. But you would imagine, by that stage, that he will have too many better offers on the table for Leeds to be a serious contender.
It is exciting to see Kluivert tip him for big things. When he was 18, he was scoring a winning goal in a Champions League final for a club with a historic academy system. So he definitely has an idea of what it takes to make the grade.
It will be extremely exciting if Leeds can now win the race for his signature if he is indeed heading for the exit.