Leeds pushing for Chelsea star on permanent deal, though loan likeliest
Leeds are aiming to secure a permanent deal for a Chelsea star rated highly by Frank Lampard, though The Blues would prefer to go down the loan route.
Marcelo Bielsa’s side are keen to bolster their squad further as they look to make waves in their return to the Premier League.
Centre-forward Rodrigo and defender Robin Koch have both been brought in for big fees, though the pair didn’t enjoy the happiest of debuts in their 4-3 defeat to Liverpool.
Nevertheless, with an all-action style deployed under Bielsa, strength in depth is a vital requirement.
The club’s pursuit of Argentine midfielder Rodrigo De Paul recently suffered a double blow. As such, attentions could now turn to other avenues.
The Daily Mail report that one such alternative could be Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher.
The 20-year-old has represented England an under-21 level, and has gained experience on loan spells with Charlton Athletic and Swansea City.
The midfielder is described as being ‘highly’ rated by Lampard, and the Chelsea boss would prefer to let Gallagher gain further experience via another loan stint.
However, the article describes Bielsa and Leeds as having ‘such faith Gallagher will fit into Marcelo Bielsa’s style that they are willing to buy him.’
Convincing Chelsea to part ways with the youngster would appear to be a difficult task, especially with West Brom and Aston Villa both touted as being receptive to offering loan deals.
Van Dijk explains why Leeds will cause major problems
Meanwhile, Virgil van Dijk paid compliments to Leeds for making life difficult for Liverpool in their season opener.
After the match, the Dutch defender admitted it had been an “intense” and “tough” challenge – backing Leeds to cause problems for more teams this season.
“I enjoyed the win for sure,” van Dijk told Match of the Day. “We knew it was going to be very intense and we knew it was going to be tough.