According to the latest reports from Daily Star, Leeds United are not interested in signing former Championship player of the season Anthony Knockaert. The report cites the tweet of journalist Andy Naylor, who reports on Brighton. The tweet read, ”Knockaert to Leeds, Andone to Barcelona or Galatasaray, Izquierdo to Besiktas. Reliably informed all wide of the mark.”
We are not sure from where the rumours of Knockaert to Leeds originated, but the Brighton player would have been a smart signing for the Whites. Chris Hughton has often used him as an impact player off the bench this season, and as a result, Knockaert has started just 12 games in the Premier League so far. He might not be completely out of the picture at the Amex Stadium, but many would have expected him to play a more pivotal role in this Seagulls’ lineup.
The winger though has all the elements which should suit Leeds United well, and he has shown before that he can be a top player in the Championship. The 27-year-old played a massive role in Brighton’s promotion run in the 2016-17 season and was awarded the Championship player of the season.
However, Brighton are now trying to hit the next level, and they spent some good money in the summer of 2018. Knockaert has fallen behind in the pecking order so the Whites can probably lure him away by offering him regular game time.
Marcelo Bielsa has been quite adamant that the Whites won’t sign a player just for the sake of it. However, the Argentine manager did go on to indicate that the club should look to sign a winger ever since Pablo Hernandez was shifted to play in central areas. The wide areas are currently occupied by the likes of Jack Clarke, Jack Harrison and Ezgjan Alioski.
Out of the lot, Harrison is on loan until the end of the current season. Pablo Hernandez who is a first choice right winger is going to be 34 by the time next season arrives. Therefore, signing a right winger is going to be a necessity for the club in the next two transfer windows.
Knockaert can be the perfect Bielsa kind of player as he shows impressive work rate and is quick during the transition when he has the ball. The Frenchman always looks to drive the ball forward, and there is no doubt that he would be a valuable addition to the Whites’ squad and signing him in this window would have made a positive impact in their promotion run. However, after the latest news, it seems like Leeds are currently not in the picture to sign him. But we believe Bielsa should definitely think about getting a deal done for him.
