Leeds United fans are unanimous in their verdict on Gabriel Gudmundsson after Villarreal draw

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Leeds United fans had the chance to see new signing Gabriel Gudmundsson run out at Elland Road for the first time in the pre-season friendly against Villarreal.

The departure of cult hero Junior Firpo meant the Whites were forced into the transfer market for a left-back, with Gabriel Gudmundsson joining for a £10 million fee.

The Swedish international lined up as part of a makeshift back four in the draw against Villarreal, with new signing Jaka Bijol coming off the bench at half-time and the influential Jayden Bogle missing the game through injury.

However, Gudmundsson caught the eye of Leeds fans with an impressive display, prompting them to deliver their verdict on their new signing after the game.

Leeds United fans are impressed by Gabriel Gudmundsson

Leeds secured a draw against their La Liga opposition thanks to a goal from the impressive Joel Piroe, and Gudmundsson played 90 minutes, despite suffering a late knock in a collision with Illan Meslier.

Posting on the social media site X (formerly Twitter) after Leeds’ latest pre-season fixture, Leeds fans were unanimous in their praise of their new signing.

One fan praised the club’s astute business in the market, as they posted: “It’s very clear we’ve got absolute bargains in Bijol, Gudmundsson and Stach especially.”

Another fan was pleased to see the left back get more minutes under his belt ahead of the new season, stating: “Stach, Gudmundsson and Bijol all put in a good grind. Aaronson looked really good today too, despite my earlier pre-match criticism.”

Gudmundsson was one of several players who impressed, according to one fan who wrote: “Piroe was an upgrade on Nmecha today; he’s Premier League ready. Gudmundsson was excellent. Stach playing 8 seems odd. Bijol needs more sharpness. Gnonto can be a big player again in the Premier League.”

Brenden Aaronson caught the eye with his assist for Leeds’ goal, but one fan believes Gudmundsson outshone him, arguing: “Aaronson was definitely not the best today. Did a lot of running around as usual. I was really impressed with Gudmundsson”.

Another fan was impressed with how quickly Gudmundsson has settled into life at Leeds, posting: “Gudmundsson on the left looked very accomplished and fitted in very well.”

New signing can fill the void left by Junior Firpo

Despite a rocky start to life at the club, Firpo became a firm fan favourite at Elland Road, as his marauding runs from left back played a crucial role in Leeds’ return to the Premier League.

As a result, the pressure is on Gudmundsson not only to be a solid presence in defence but to be productive in the final third this season.

According to the stats from Sofascore, he is more than capable of doing this, having impressed for Lille in Ligue 1 last season. Although he made a modest contribution of two goals and one assist, his all-round contribution was much greater.

Gudmundsson made 16 key passes, 20 successful dribbles, and had 18 shots on goal in 30 appearances last season. He also maintained an overall pass success rate of 85.3%, with 13 accurate crosses.

Whilst he may not make the marauding runs that would see Firpo frequently appear as the free man in the box, he is capable of contributing in attack. He looks to be a real bargain ahead of the new season.