In a recent interview with Football Insider, former Middlesbrough forward Noel Whelan has urged Leeds United to land Stade Brest 29 left-back Romain Perraud this summer. Whelan said,
“Perraud is the right age and the way he plays his game he will fit perfectly in at Leeds United.
“He likes to get up and down that left-hand side and he is clearly a creative player given the amount of assists he got last season.
“When you look at the right-hand side of our team it is very well balanced with Luke Ayling and Raphinha. We need that same balance on the left-hand side and we have never really had that.
“Alioski has been fantastic at times but he is still a square peg in a round hole. We need a recognised left-back because it will benefit us not only defensively but going forward.”
Perraud’s Excellent Form At Stade Francis-Le Blé This Season
Perraud has enjoyed an impressive campaign in French football as he has been responsible for putting in a series of productive displays on the left side of Olivier Dall’Oglio’s defence. The French defender has participated in 37 matches for Stade Brest this term, finding the back of the net on three occasions while picking up seven assists in all competitions.
The 23-year-old has caught the eye by averaging 1.7 tackles, 1.3 interceptions, 1.8 clearances, 1.3 shots, 1.0 key passes and 0.9 dribbles per game in the Ligue 1 this season. He has even taken care of the ball when distributing possession from the left-wing after making 79.9% of his attempted passes in the French top tier (stats via whoscored).
Will Perraud Be A Good Choice For The Whites This Summer?
Perraud has decent pace under his belt that allows him to make some energetic runs with the ball down the left flank. He is always willing to work hard at both ends of the field and has added some goals and assists to his game this season.
The French sensation has also proven himself to be a reliable presence at the back as he has got good defensive awareness and can pull off a few crucial interceptions for his side. Plus, he doesn’t take too many chances on the defensive end of the field and is proficient at clearing his lines when required.
At 23, Perraud is only going to get better with more experience, so Marcelo Bielsa would be wise to try and orchestrate a move to get him on board in the summer. He has the makings of a top talent and could grow into a future star at Elland Road.
With all things considered, Perraud will be a decent choice for the West Yorkshire outfit to consider before the start of the new campaign. He will undeniably be an upgrade over Ezgjan Alioski at Leeds and could add some natural width by stretching the pitch for the Whites out on the left flank.
