Despite keen interest from Aston Villa throughout the summer, Leeds United have successfully tied down Kalvin Phillips to an improved five-year contract. But the club are keen on trimming the squad further in winter, and according to The Athletic, they will try to offload Ouasim Bouy once again as soon as the window reopens in January.
The 26-year-old Dutchman was roped in on a Bosman transfer upon being released by Juventus back in the summer of 2017. He, however, found it difficult in West Yorkshire and soon became a forgotten name after failing to break into both Thomas Christiansen and Marcelo Bielsa’s plan.
Bouy had a couple of loan stints with Cultural Leonesa and PEC Zwolle but has failed to find a new club this term. The defender is still training at Elland Road, and the Whites have no option but to pay his wages having handed him a four-year contract while snapping up a couple of summers back.
Do They Have Enough Depth At The Back?
Bielsa, meanwhile, had his issues in deep defence in the last term amid injury woes. He was forced to line up Phillips in a makeshift central defensive role and banked on ex-academy prodigy Aapo Halme on a few occasions as well.
Although they parted ways with Pontus Jansson before this campaign, Ben White has been towering so far in the heart of Leeds United’s backline alongside skipper Liam Cooper. Veteran Gaetano Berardi adds depth to the defensive positions whereas Phillips, up for the fresh challenge after signing the new deal, would again be slotted as a centre-half if needed at some stage of the season. Youngster Pascal Struijk has impressed for the reserves, and therefore, might be called into action later on to cover the first-team stars.
Why It’s Already Over For Bouy At Leeds
Many would have preferred to see him gaining first-team minutes considering his ability to play as a centre-back as well as in a defensive midfield role. It is highly unlikely though he would be having any as the player has not been given a shirt number for back to back seasons now.
Bouy failed to leave a mark in Turin, and his loan spells have not been impressive either. There’s been nothing special in the training ground too, and the Whites must look to get him off the wage bill soon to draw a conclusion to this catastrophic deal.
