£11m ace admits Leeds tried to sign him before he joined Prem rivals

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Left-back Romain Perraud admits he was ‘approached by Leeds United’ before sealing a £11 million move to Premier League rivals Southampton, speaking to French publication So Foot. 

With the contract of cult hero Gianni Alioski running down, Leeds needed a replacement in the summer of 2021. And Perraud’s swashbuckling, ‘hyperactive’ style of play appeared to make him a player tailor-made for Marcelo Bielsa‘s unique brand of free-flowing football at Elland Road. 

Perraud, however, was lured to the South Coast instead after talks with Leeds suddenly broke down. He eventually signed a long-term deal with the Saints, the men from West Yorkshire opting instead for one-time Barcelona benchwarmer Junior Firpo. 

Romain Perraud could have joined Leeds United instead of Southampton

“In January – February 2021, I was approached by Leeds and Southampton,” explains Perraud, who eventually joined the Saints in an £11 million deal from Ligue 1 outfit Stade Brestois. 

“From there, I let my agents deal with it. My first mission was to leave the Stade Brestois. Afterwards, the talks accelerated towards the month of April. It was a very stressful end to the season.

“It was Leeds who contacted me first. But the negotiations stopped quite suddenly. Southampton were very warm, the project immediately seduced me. The club seemed to me structured, rather healthy, and the philosophy of play suited me.

“Then the club’s recruiter told me that he had seen me play 52 times. That gave me confidence.”

25-year-old Perraud, on Sunday afternoon, scored the final goal of the Ralph Hasenhuttl era at St Mary’s; locating the top corner with his weaker right foot during a 4-1 home defeat to Newcastle United. 

The one-time Celtic target will be hoping to build on that under Hasenhuttl’s successor, rumoured to be Luton Town boss Nathan Jones. 

“I’ve been given permission (to speak to Southampton). It’s flattering,” Jones told Sky Sports following Luton’s 2-0 loss at Stoke City on Tuesday night. “And I’ll go and speak to them because it is a wonderful Premier League club and so on. But I’ve got a wonderful club here as well. That can’t be forgotten either 

“It’s not the first opportunity I’ve had to speak to people, and I haven’t wanted to (before). This is slightly different because of the situation, and because of the club that it is. It will take something really, really special to take me away from that.”