According to the latest reports from the Nottingham Post, Leeds United are one of the teams who are interested in signing Nottingham Forest’s centre half Yohan Benalouane. The defender is also being eyed by Cardiff City, a team fighting relegation in the English top flight.
Benalouane is a former Premier League winner with Leicester City, and the Tricky Trees signed him in the January transfer window only. The defender has his contract until 2020. Maybe that is the reason why the club is looking to offload him soon so as to not lose him for free in the future.
The 31-year old’s biggest asset is his versatility to play anywhere across the back four, and we feel that is the reason why someone like Marcelo Bielsa might be interested in him. Traditionally a centre back, Benalouane is adept at playing as a right back and even on the left side of the defence.
The Tunisian is a tough tackling player, and he is often committed in his challenges. That is the reason why he usually gets his name in the booking list as in 9 appearances in the Championship this season, Benalouane has four yellow cards and one red card to his name.
Leeds United meanwhile are fighting to get to the Premier League, and they currently occupy the third spot on the table. They could be in an excellent position to land the player ahead of the Bluebirds if the Whites make it to the English top flight and Cardiff go down the other way round.
United have done well to be in the automatic promotion race with a razor-thin squad, and we believe the club would make significant signings in the summer if they get promoted. Benalouane isn’t the kind of signing which would get supporters off their feet, but he is likely to be used more as a squad player. As previously mentioned, his versatility could be the reason why Bielsa would go after him as the Argentine gaffer has often used various players in multiple positions.
In Benalouane, they will get a player who has plenty of experience as he has played in Serie A, Ligue 1 and the Premier League. With Leicester City, the defender managed to make two appearances in the Champions League as well.
However, one can understand if some fans feel disappointed with this transfer link as Benalouane seems to be past his prime and seems more like a Championship player at the moment. Nevertheless, he could be a decent squad player even in the Premier League if the Whites manage to achieve promotion.
