After promotion to the Premier League under Marcelo Bielsa, Leeds United broke their transfer record with the signing of Rodrigo Moreno. But they almost did it for a second time.
Spain’s no.9 was added to the Leeds ranks for a fee of £27m from Valencia. The belief was that Rodrigo would suit Leeds given his versatility as an attacking midfield or striker, and his intense work rate up top.
It didn’t work for Rodrigo initially, only really proving his transfer fee in his third and final season. Leeds’ signings in the summer of 2020 were hit and miss, highlighting just how impressive it was to finish ninth.
In actual fact, it was Marcelo Bielsa’s tactics, the signing of Raphinha and the mid-table Championship players Bielsa had converted into Premier League stars that got Leeds into the top half of the table.
The likes of Patrick Bamford, Luke Ayling, Stuart Dallas, Kalvin Phillips and Liam Cooper all starred when Diego Llorente, Robin Koch, Rodrigo and other signings were average. There could have been another.
Rodrigo De Paul’s famous reply to The Square Ball in 2020
Rodrigo De Paul’s name still fills Leeds fans with regret, a sense of what could have been. As was widely reported at the time by many outlets including TalkSPORT, Leeds were in talks to sign De Paul for £37m.
An Argentina international but yet to establish himself on the European stage, De Paul had just captained Udinese and had a hand in 14 goals during 2019-20. But he needed a big move to go to the next stage.
The Square Ball, famous for its fan-led Leeds coverage, responded to a fan on X asking for an update in the pursuit of De Paul. The Square Ball wrote: “Apparently he’s keen but it now rests with the clubs.”
Incredibly and to the surprise of all, De Paul himself responded. Simply, the then-Udinese captain posted “yes” with a fingers crossed emoji. But, a move never materialised and is one of the club’s big what-ifs.
Why De Paul’s move fell through, according to Victor Orta
Quoted by TalkSPORT in 2022, then-sporting director Victor Orta explained why Leeds had chosen not to pursue a deal for De Paul. He explains that Udinese’s valuation just proved to be too much in the end.
“[De Paul] was one player we analysed but, the valuation of his club was at a level that was difficult for Leeds to reach, as a newly promoted club – not just for Leeds but a lot of clubs,” Orta explained in 2022.
While Orta gets his critics, if the fee was £37m, for a newly-promoted side that is rather expensive. Leeds did not even exceed £20m on a player this summer, but Robbie Evans says Leeds maxed out PSR.
What has De Paul got up to since he almost joined Leeds?
Well, De Paul remained at Udinese for another season before joining Atletico Madrid for £30m, less due to his contract being a year older. A year into his Atleti spell, De Paul was holding aloft the World Cup.
Again, highlighting the kind of player Leeds would have signed. A dogged, aggressive, technically superb player. These days, De Paul is playing for David Beckham’s Inter Miami and was in action overnight.
He helped Inter Miami secure a 3-1 win over Seattle Sounders, with De Paul laying on an assist from a corner for his side’s third. Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba also scored, assisting goals for each other.
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