A playoff heartbreak last season must not derail Leeds United from their target of a long-pending Premier League return next year. They would start the campaign as one of the prime promotion contenders, but Marcelo Bielsa must focus on retaining his key individuals amid interest from top-flight outfits in England as well as abroad.
While they Whites are battling it out to keep hold of Kalvin Phillips (as claimed by The Telegraph), Aston Villa have emerged as favourites (as per the latest odds via Sky Bet) to rope in Helder Costa ahead of the Yorkshire giants. They are destined to lose teenage sensation Jack Clarke with Tottenham Hotspur leading the race as per latest rumours and Ezgjan Alioski, their other star performer, is backed to be a success in one of Bielsa’s former clubs.
Football Club de Marseille, the leading fanzine for French club Olympique de Marseille, believes the Macedonian is the one who would fit in their attacking third under new manager André Villas-Boas. The Ligue 1 heavyweights missed out on a place in Europe the previous term and are eyeing an overhaul prior to the upcoming campaign.
The young Portuguese chief prefers the offensive game and the 27-year-old, with all his energy, relentless runs, crosses and cut insides from the flanks, would fit in perfectly down the wide areas.
Alioski progressed through the youth ranks of Young Boys and flourished in Switzerland before joining the Whites a couple of summers back. He earned a regular role from the very beginning of his Elland Road stint and went on to make 44 league appearances last season prior to his injury towards the closure of the campaign.
An injury to Barry Douglas forced the gaffer to deploy him as a makeshift fullback in the culminating months, but the attacker contributed significantly with seven goals and five assists to his name along with plenty of build-ups and persistent crosses mostly from the left-hand flank.
Although there has been no approach yet for Alioski (as claimed by Leeds Live), the Whites are determined to keep hold of him and are set to reject any bid later this window. He would be massive in Leeds’ potential promotion push and the versatility, as well as agility, of the electrifying winger, will boost them up offensively irrespective of new inclusions. But the iconic Argentine should utilise him upfront as his mazy runs and flashy skills would dismantle the opponents’ defensive resilience in close contests similar to the previous term.
