Leeds United are potentially just £2 million away from landing Arnaud Kalimuendo after the PSG striker turned down Premier League rivals Nottingham Forest, as reported by FootMercato.
Things didn’t really work out the last time Leeds snapped up a highly-rated centre-forward who rose through the ranks at the Parc des Princes. Though no one should be judging Kalimuendo by Jean-Kevin Augustin’s calamitous and controversial stint at Elland Road.
Despite only turning 20 in January, the France youth star already has 19 Ligue 1 goals to his name, scoring for fun during a loan spell at perennial overachievers RC Lens.
“He is already the prototype of a modern striker. From the ages of 18 to 20, he not only showed that he deserves his place in Ligue 1, but he continued to score goals,” says Lens coach Frank Haise.
“He is an attacker for the future, and is clever in the finish. He is able to play with his back to the goal, to attack the box, to create spaces for team-mates.”
No wonder Kalimuendo has already been described as the ‘complete player’. And no wonder, with just two years left on his Paris Saint-Germain contract, he’s attracting plenty of interest from clubs on the other side of the Channel.
Is Arnaud Kalimuendo leaving PSG for Leeds United?
FM claim that Kalimuendo turned down a move to newly-promoted Nottingham Forest earlier this week. But the chance to play under a renowned developer of young talent in Jesse Marsch – who coached Erling Haaland, Brenden Aaronson and Dominik Szoboszlai at Red Bull Salzburg – may be too good to turn down.
According to The Independent, Leeds have submitted an £18 million bid for Kalimuendo. PSG are expected to turn it down, though the dominant force of French football would be willing to cash in for a fee closer to £20 million.
How the spring-heeled Kalimuendo feels about moving to West Yorkshire is, at this stage, uncertain. FootMercato claims that he and his entourage will hold talks with the PSG board in the coming weeks, meaning no decision is expected on his future before the beginning of July.
Leeds have already signed Rasmus Kristensen and the aforementioned Aaronson. Bayern Munich benchwarmer Marc Roca will undergo a medical on Friday after agreeing a deal worth around £15 million.
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