Just the other day, there were reports about Leeds United target and former Newcastle United winger Yasin Ben El-Mhanni, who is currently a free agent, is being chased by Standard Liege. The latest reports from Bristol Post suggests that the Whites are unlikely to go after him and that the player is already in talks with Belgian outfit Royal Antwerp. The 22-year-old was recently released by Newcastle United after his contract expired and he has since been up for grabs. Quite a few Championship clubs were reportedly interested in him, but it now looks like he would put an end to his career in England.
So is missing out on this maverick really a blow for Leeds? We believe not so much. El-Mhanni might have that ‘x-factor’ in his game, but his final product and his efficiency in the attacking third of the pitch leave a lot to be desired.
The winger doesn’t have too much experience at the top level and has made just two senior appearances for Newcastle United. Apart from that, he has only featured in the Premier League reserve league for the Magpies. So he is a relative fresher to the English game.
The reason for the demand he has in the market is his direct style of play and skills on the ball. However, he often complicates things and at times fails to make a simple pass. He is also guilty of holding on to the ball for far too long, missing out on opportunities to pick out his team-mates who might be in better positions.
However, there he has enough talent and maybe someone like Bielsa could have brought the best out of him. The fact that he was available for free is a major reason for many clubs showing an interest in his services. But we believe that if Bielsa is looking for some attacking outlets, he should turn towards some young academy players like Jack Clarke or Ryan Edmondson, who are doing well for the club at the u-23 level. Especially Clarke, as his form has been prolific in front of goal recently.
If Bielsa had made a move for El-Mhanni, he would have been a back up to the likes of Ezgjan Alioski or Pablo Hernandez. However, the player lack of tactical knowledge was why Rafael Benitez didn’t draft him into the first team often. The Spaniard is known to make his team disciplined and tactically organised which El-Mhanni lacked. But 90 minutes of football is much more than performing few neat tricks and going, past defenders. So the youngster will not be too huge a loss for Leeds.
