Reports linking Leeds United with a £5 million move for Fredrik Aursnes are news to Molde’s sporting director Ole Erik Stavrum – and the man himself.
Director of football Victor Orta is famed for unearthing rough diamonds from untapped markets across the continent, and links with a little-known Norwegian will have Leeds fans everywhere scouring the internet for YouTube compilations once again.
The Sun claims that the £5 million Aursnes is keen to try his hand in a major European league with Leeds preparing for their return to the big time after 16 years away.
A technically gifted central midfielder whose piercing passes make him a perfect fit for Marcelo Bielsa’s possession-heavy principles, Aursnes is also a natural-born ‘leader’ with as much character as he has quality.
That is according to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer anyway; the man who brought him to Molde four years ago (Aftenposten).
But, according to the club’s sporting director, Leeds are yet to make their interest known.
“It is completely unknown to us,” Stavrum tells VG, while Aursnes himself seems none the wiser.
“I have heard (the rumours) in the media but I know nothing, to be honest. I have not heard anything about this, really, so there is not much more to say,” he tells Romsdals Budstikke.
Leeds have also been linked with moves for Uruguay international Nahitan Nandez, Benfica enforcer Florentino Luis and Norwich City playmaker Emi Buendia in recent weeks.
Given that Bielsa sees midfield as the area where a game is won or lost, it is perhaps to be expected that Leeds are looking to add both grit and guile in the centre of the park.
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