Leeds United’s chances of landing Hoffenheim winger Steven Zuber is over as the Swiss international has joined Bundesliga outfit Stuttgart on loan. However, in the official tweet from the Hoffenheim account, the German side made it clear that there is no deal agreed upon beyond the summer so maybe the Whites can try their luck again in the summer.
Zuber would have been a massive addition to Bielsa’s lineup given his versatility. The fact that he has moved on loan suggests that the Whites could have had a chance to sign him. With Samuel Saiz gone, Pablo Hernandez has been shifted to play in more central roles, and the team depends heavily on the Spaniard to provide that creative spark in the final third.
Along with that, United have struggled with injuries in various positions and Zuber’s versatility to fill in as a winger, attacking midfielder and fullback would have come in handy. The 27-year-old has been an essential part of Hoffenheim side in previous years, but he fell down the pecking order of late and has made just nine appearances in the Bundesliga this season.
Leeds United have done well to lead the table given their razor-thin squad, and they seem to be in a strong position to move to the Premier League. However, they definitely are showing signs of struggle recently with so many injuries.
Quite a few players have ended up playing in makeshift positions so far. Bielsa too recently went on to claim (Leeds Live) that they would need a winger now that Pablo Hernandez has been shifted to play in central areas after the departure of Samuel Saiz. However, he was adamant that signings would only be made if the new players are going to be better than the current set of players.
Zuber would have definitely made the team stronger, and he would have been a candidate to start regularly. Given that he has the experience of playing Champions League football, the Whites would have made a quality addition if they managed to pull off this deal.
The 27-year-old has an immense work rate and is good on the ball. He always looks to drive the ball forward and can provide that magic moment in the opponent half. To go with that, Zuber also has the odd spectacular goal in him, and he would have been the perfect Bielsa kind of player.
Now that he has slipped away from their grasp, the Whites need to look at other potential signings, and they would be playing a dangerous game if they end up making no signings this month.
