Reports from Russian media outlet Championat came out in January that Leeds United had put in a massive bid of £10.5m for Spartak Moscow’s striker Ze Luis. The bid came out of nowhere and we are not yet sure whether the Whites had actually put in a bid for the forward. It was believed that Spartak Moscow weren’t ready to sell their prime striker midway through the season even for that price.
The Cape Verde international has managed 11 goals so far in the ongoing campaign and recently opened up about the possibility of moving to England. The striker was quoted as saying (Sports.ru), ”It’s nice to know that other clubs are interested in you.”
”I can assure everyone that I am a Spartak player and I intend to fulfil my contract with the club completely. If in the future sometime there comes an offer that will interest all parties, and the club, and me, then we will sit down and talk. But at the moment I am a Spartak player. I like the English league, I’ve never denied it. On the other hand, not blinded by this idea. I do my job and time will tell.”
The player seems keen to continue in Russia but has also kept the doors open to a possible switch if the opportunity arrives. ‘Forward’ is one area where the Whites are actually well covered for the time being as Kemar Roofe has the led the line with aplomb. Patrick Bamford has also recovered from his injuries, and Tyler Roberts has shown that he can be relied upon to lead the line when required.
Therefore we don’t really see the Whites going in for Ze Luis in the summer again. However, just in terms of abilities and skills, the 28-year-old can be a decent signing. Maybe the Whites could target him again if they sell someone like Kemar Roofe who had been linked (The Sun) with a move away from the club previously.
One of the other aspects of Ze Luis’ game is that he can turn out as a winger when required given his impressive burst of speed. We all know how desperately the Whites need a winger and maybe if the gaffer feels that the Caper Verde international can play out from the flanks regularly then in that case also we might see an interest from the Whites in the summer.
However, the forward is a crucial player for Spartak Moscow, and even a bid of around £10m might not be good enough to convince the Russian side to sell. Therefore it doesn’t make sense for the Whites to revisit this target until and unless they can get him at a reasonable price.
