Leeds United could sign a big upgrade on Adam Forshaw in Cagliari midfielder Nahitan Nandez amid suggestions that the club could reignite their move for the midfielder.
Reports over the course of the summer window had claimed that Marcelo Bielsa’s side were eyeing up a swoop for the 26-year-old, with Italian publication La Nuova Sardegna even suggesting that the Whites were ready to pay the €36m (£31m) release clause in order to bring him to Elland Road
Ciclo Deportivo have now claimed (via FC Inter News) that the Whites could return to the table for Nandez, although it’s suggested that it could well be a ploy to get Serie A giants Inter to bid themselves.
With Kalvin Phillips out injured, it’s been up to Forshaw to bring some calm and experience to the Leeds midfield this season; and while the 30-year-old has tried to hold things down, Nandez would represent a real upgrade on him.
Speaking to This Is Futbol, Serie A football expert Conor Clancy said of the Uruguayan: “Anywhere Bielsa wants to play him, he’d do a job. I like him a lot. I think he’s only about five foot seven, but you wouldn’t know it if you just watched clips of him, he is a little bit of a machine. He’s so powerful but at the same time, has really, really good ball control.”
As per SofaScore, he averaged 1.8 tackles and won 6.1 duels per game in Serie A last term, which favours quite well when you compare him to Phillips – the Whites powerhouse averaged 2.6 tackles and won 5.3 duels per match in the Premier League.
Nandez’s performances for Cagliari even led journalist Mina Rzouki to say: “Cagliari’s Nandez is one of the most underrated players. God he’s been so amazing, especially in Cagliari’s last 3 games. He scored the equaliser against Napoli. Man of the match in the win against Udinese. Against Roma – just wow. Unstoppable.”
The £18m-rated Nandez appears to be the ideal solution to Bielsa’s lack of real midfield cover at Elland Road right now, with his combination of work rate and technique making him a perfect fit for the notoriously demanding Leeds manager.
This season, the Uruguayan has averaged far more duels won per game than Forshaw, while also offering a more consistent goal threat too, averaging more shots per match.
At four years his junior, and with plenty of experience in the Italian top flight, Nandez could seamlessly replace Forshaw in the starting line-up at Elland Road.
