Championship side Leeds United will add a young defender to their squad with Aapo Halme set to arrive at Elland Road, but will he be the only addition?
A 19-year-old from Finland may not exactly fit the profile for Leeds fans’ dream January signing.
But, make no mistake, Aapo Halme could represent an excellent addition not only for the future but the present too. According to MTV Sport, Leeds are set to pay a ‘significant sum’ to sign the centre-back from HJK Helsinki.
And while Halme would not walk straight into their starting XI, he has plenty of first-team football under his belt for Helsinki, having made 36 appearances for the club and featuring in the Europa League qualifiers this season.
Although with one new centre-back on his way to Elland Road already, it is tempting to wonder what this means for the reported deal regarding Sporting Lisbon’s Tobias Figueiredo.
Portuguese publication Desporto ao Minuto claimed in December that Leeds had made an enquiry about Figueiredo’s availability and were willing to pay the £3.5 million asking price.
Record then added to the speculation by stating that the Portuguese under-23 international, who is not part of Sporting boss Jorge Jesus’s plans, was set for a move to England in the New Year.
But with Pontus Jansson, Liam Cooper and Conor Shaughnessy already enjoying impressive seasons at Leeds, and Matthew Pennington still on the club’s books for now, is there really any room in West Yorkshire for both Halme and Figueiredo?
Only one young centre-half is required and it appears that Leeds have placed their trust in the young Finn.
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