Leeds United will be without the banned Samu Saiz for six games, meaning a deal to sign Peterborough’s Marcus Maddison should now be pursued?
Samu Saiz has been the undoubted star of the show for Leeds United this season. The silky Spaniard has not only scored and assisted 10 league goals in 2017/18, he makes the entire side tick and takes Leeds’ game to the next level with his unrivalled ability to produce something from very little.
How will Thomas Christiansen’s side cope, then, with Saiz now banned for six games after being found guilty of spitting at Newport County winger Robbie Wilmott in their shock FA Cup third round defeat?
Well, one way they could compensate for Saiz’s extended absence would be to step up their interest in Peterborough United’s Marcus Maddison.
According to the Peterborough Telegraph, the star winger is a target for the Whites this month and they have already made a bid of around £2 million. Although Posh’s director of football Barry Fry was at his outspoken best when he said that the League One club would not sell Maddison and prolific goalscorer Jack Marriott for any less than £10 million.
But needs must. And, with Saiz made to sit on the naughty step for the next six games, Leeds must find a player capable of replicating his ability to score and create goals from an attacking midfield position, even if that means owner Andrea Radrizzani has to put his hand in his pocket.
A fee of around £5 million may seem a little steep for a player who has never tried his hand above League One, but Maddison’s tally of five goals and 15 assists in the third tier suggests that he is something of a big fish in need of a larger pond.
Leeds’ play-off hopes could fall apart without Saiz, but could Maddison keep them on track?
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