According to reports, Championship side Leeds United are closing in on Bundesliga shot-stopper Felix Wiedwald as the new boss looks for a long-term solution under the bar. The Whites have plans of major change in the squad this summer and beefing up their defence remains a top priority.
The 27-year-old Bundesliga goalie hasn’t had the best of seasons for Werder Bremen last term and the player is reportedly all set to leave Germany to come to England. He has even rejected a move to Greece to go to his preferred destination and Elland Road remains a prime terminus.
Leeds United have a brilliant goalkeeper in Robert Green, who was an absolute rock for them last season conceding just 47 goals in 46 games, and there is no reason why the club would want a new pair of hands this summer except for the fact that they are thinking long-term. England’s second-tier is filled with goalkeepers who are well past their prime and still continue to be consistent.
However, this move could be keeping an eye on the coming years, where Leeds really hope to cross the bridge they have desperately been trying for the past 13 years. The other option of Marco Silvestri could have been the next number one for the club, but the Italian has failed to impress and could even be on his way to Italy soon.
Young Bailey Peacock-Farrell, on the other hand, has been touted by many to be the next potential Leeds star between the posts, but he is only 20 and would take another couple of years to claim that position. However, Thomas Christiansen still chasing Wiedwald means a departure is on the cards.
Wiedwald has been a hot prospect in the transfer market for many Championship clubs and Leeds United won’t have it easy either. But Leeds United will not be having it all their way and the goalkeeper is also courted by Claudio Ranieri’s Nantes who are eyeing a move for him.
An academy product of the German side, Wiedwald got his first big break with MSV Duisburg in 2011 after making his way up through the ranks of Werder Bremen II, Under 19 and Under 17. His impressive displays at Duisburg earned him a move to Eintracht Frankfurt on loan. However, it was cut short quickly as he returned to Bremen where their first-choice goalie Raphael Wolf became unwell and became their first-choice in the 2015-16 campaign.
