Samu Saiz and Fran Merida were teammates at Spanish second division side Huesca and could reunite at Leeds United.
No one had any idea how Samu Saiz would adapt to life in English football when he arrived at Leeds United from Spanish second tier side Huesca in the summer.
After all, the attacker had spent the majority of his career living a nomadic existence in the Spanish lower leagues and had never played outside of his homeland. Furthermore, a £3 million transfer fee, as reported by the Yorkshire Evening Post, looked rather hefty when you consider that Saiz had not been picked up by any La Liga clubs in recent years.
Yet, it is fair to say Saiz has exceeded expectations so far. A clinical debut hat-trick against Port Vale in the EFL Cup showcased the ruthless finishing that saw the 26-year-old net 12 times in his most prolific season to date at Huesca last term.
Since then, Saiz has gone from strength to strength and has stood out with ease in the English Championship. Therefore, his adaptation may encourage Leeds United to push on in their reported interest in Fran Merida.
The Mail reported earlier in the week that Leeds sent scouts to watch the 27-year-old midfielder in action for Osasuna in Spain’s second tier. Merida, who played alongside Saiz at Huesca, even has an advantage over his old team-mate in that he spent five years honing his trade in Arsenal’s youth academy.
Therefore, the technically-gifted midfielder, who was likened to Cesc Fabregas in his days as a so-called ‘wonderkid’ at The Emirates, appears well placed to follow in Saiz’s footsteps and take to West Yorkshire like a duck to water.
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