Heartbreak in the playoffs denied Leeds United a long-pending promotion to Premier League after a blistering start to their 2018-19 campaign. But the club has successfully retained the services of Marcelo Bielsa for one more season and is now looking to bolster the squad with new signings.
According to Football Direkt, the Whites scouted Östersunds FK duo Hosam Aiesh and Dino Islamovic yesterday against GIF Sundsvall in an Allsvenskan fixture. Club’s technical director Victor Orta took a considerable amount of stick from the fans for making some bizarre signings last season. However, a few of his low-key recruits have been an influence in West Yorkshire.
Both Aiesh and Islamovic are little known names in world football but have the potential to succeed if nurtured and utilised properly. Although Orta would be confident of his scouting network, the gaffer must have the final call before sanctioning any transfer during this summer window.
Aiesh, 24, received his maiden senior call-up for Sweden last December and made his debut back in January in a friendly fixture against Finland. He is capable of featuring as a centre-forward as well as on both the flanks. However, his preferred position is mostly down the right.
The attacker is hailed for his work rate, swift movement and strong dribbling traits. He netted a goal against Arsenal at the Emirates in last season’s Europa League Round of 32 fixture and exhibited his ability to turn up on big occasions.
Islamovic, on the other hand, is more of an outright centre-forward who is capable of finding the net if fed properly from the wing. The 25-year-old former Sweden youth international started his career at Malmo before moving to Fulham to join their academy ranks. After a couple of years in England, he opted to join the Eredivisie outfit FC Groningen. But an unimpressive spell in the Netherlands led to a return to his homeland with Trelleborgs FF before plying his trade to Östersund last year.
Leeds, meanwhile, lacked enough depth in the squad which resulted in frequent injuries and a loss of form during the decisive phase of their season. The Swedish pair should be handed a bit-part role initially before being handed first-team slots. They must adjust to the grind and demand of the Championship football. Islamovic has found the net four times in 12 league games whereas Aiesh scored once and assisted thrice so far in eight Allsvenskan 2019 outings.
Talks are still pretty premature, but the Whites should stay strategic to their business and analyse the market minutely before gambling on the Östersunds stars.
