Leeds United may be the ideal destination for Attila Szalai if the Fenerbahce defender moves to the Premier League during the summer transfer window, Hungary manager Marco Rossi told Inside Football.
When Marcelo Bielsa shuffled through the doors of Elland Road back in 2018, Kalvin Phillips was merely a run-of-the-mill Championship midfielder, a jack of all trades and a master of very little.
Three years later, that very same player is now an almost undisputed starter for an England side just 180 minutes away from ending a trophy drought nearly 60 years old.
If anyone epitomises the transformative impact Bielsa can have on a player’s career, it is Yorkshire’s answer to Andrea Pirlo.
So you can understand why Marco Rossi feels his coveted, 23-year-old centre-back would be in good hands should he swap Istanbul for the rolling hills of West Yorkshire.
Is Leeds United the ideal destination for Attila Szalai?
“Absolutely,” Rossi said when asked about the prospect of Szalai joining Leeds before the August 31 transfer deadline. “In my opinion, (Bielsa) is not just a colleague, but really one of the best managers.
“With Szalai, I knew when he was only at the beginning of his career that he would change a lot because everybody has to change, has to improve day after day, year after year.
“I am sure that by going to Marcelo Bielsa, Attila could have the option to improve even faster than with other coaches.”
So far, there is nothing to suggest that Szalai is actually a target for a Leeds side who appear to be prioritising a new left-back (Junior Firpo) and a box-to-box midfielder (Nahitan Nandez).
The highly-rated defender has, however, been linked with Aston Villa, Newcastle and West Ham, while Fenerbahce’s president insists that offers below £18 million will not be considered.
Recent reports have suggested that Szalai, given the choice, would prefer to join a Leicester City side who, under Brendan Rodgers, have become one of Europe’s most famed finishing schools for exciting up-and-comers looking to realise their potential.
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