After much speculation, Leeds United have finally confirmed their signing of La Liga2 midfielder Samuel Saiz. The Whites were extremely confident of landing the SD Huesca midfielder since the beginning, though intricate selling clauses delayed the signing.
Saiz is set to become Leeds United’s sixth signing of the season after they brought in Mateusz Klich from Dutch side FC Twente, Felix Wiedwald from Bundesliga side Werder Bremen and Vurnon Anita from Newcastle United, apart from making deals of winger Hadi Sacko and centre-half Pontus Jansson’s permanent.
The Whites had enjoyed a thrilling season under former manager Garry Monk as they finished seventh in the league table with 75 points, as they missed the playoff qualification spot by just one position and five points. However, the club didn’t waste time reeling under the disappointment as they started business early.
Even with Monk departing for Middlesbrough, Leeds United managed to get the back-end jobs done as the search for a new manager was on. With a new owner at the helm and an exciting boss, the club has done brilliantly to retain most of the squad from their last successful season. Christiansen definitely brings in a different thinking to the side and Saiz’s signing says it all.
Given his impressive performances, a number of clubs were in his pursuit. A prime suitor for him was La Liga side Eibar, who had the fund to facilitate Saiz’s asking fee of £3 million following their sale of centre-half Florian Lejeune to Newcastle United. However, Leeds United did a great job in snapping him up.
Have a look at the brilliant infographic composed by Leeds United fan, Chris Taylor (you can follow him on Twitter here) for a complete breakdown on Samuel Saiz’s performances last season.
A late bloomer, it seems, the Real Madrid youth product never quite reached the height he was supposed to. He first came into the limelight with Real Madrid C team in 2010, but he was loaned off to second-tier side Sevilla Atlético. A few impressive seasons there and Real Madrid yet again tried him with a more senior side (Real Madrid Castilla), but it went in vain.
However, he has really turned things around since then although he has never played top-flight football yet. The 26-year-old is expected to give the much-needed composure and balance in Leeds United’s midfield. He comes at the back of a decent season in Spain’s second-tier football, where he was instrumental in taking Huesca to the La Liga playoffs before the side lost to Getafe. Saiz has scored 12 goals and has eight assists from the midfield in his 40 La Liga2 appearances.
