Leeds United are reportedly keeping tabs on Torino midfielder Sasa Lukic but face competition from Russian outfit Spartak Moscow.
According to Italian publication Tuttomercatoweb, Premier League side, Leeds United are interested in landing Serbian midfielder Sasa Lukic in the summer transfer window.
The 24-year-old is a key player for the Italian side Torino and has been with them since 2016. During that time he has made 113 appearances for the club, scoring six goals and assisting one more. While the numbers do not exactly elicit much enthusiasm, he could be a dynamic addition to the midfield and can play the role of a ‘regista’ with some effect.
He will add steel and strength to a Leeds side that already has the impressive Kalvin Phillips in their midst. Pairing Lukic alongside the English international could help Marcelo Bielsa’s side gain an advantage in the middle of the park.
Torino, for their part, are not keen to sell the player. However, that is not off the table and negotiations will resume next week regarding a potential deal. With Spartak Moscow also in the fray, Leeds will not have an easy path to land their man.
Lukic is not just an extremely versatile player but also someone who can be called a ‘jack of all trades’. Blessed with good vision, passing, and technique, he is capable of contributing at both ends of the pitch and would fit in well in Bielsa’s free-flowing system. More so, the Argentine tactician has the ability to get the best out of his players, meaning Lukic can go up a level or two under his guidance.
The Serbian international is, however, not much of a threat in the air and could struggle against teams that often use the aerial route. At just 183 cms, he isn’t the tallest player around and this weakness in his game could be telling.
Phillips is a better player than Lukic in the middle of the park and it makes sense for Leeds to potentially deploy the midfielder in an offensive role. With Phillips mopping up behind him, the Serbian could be given the freedom of the park to make use of his good passing range. This could very well also help get the best out of both Raphinha and Patrick Bamford.
Lukic isn’t a player who gets pulses racing or hearts throbbing. But he has every chance of being a shrewd acquisition who could thrive in the Leeds system. The Whites are also after the signing of Huddersfield Town midfielder Lewis O’Brien. It remains to be seen who they end up bringing in before the transfer window closes.
