Leeds United are reportedly hoping to sign Osasuna’s Fran Merida.
According to the Daily Mail, Leeds United are interested in signing Osasuna playmaker Fran Merida – and that would allow him to reunite with two of his former team-mates.
Merida, 27, may be a familiar name to many having joined Arsenal from Barcelona back in 2005, having been touted for stardom coming out of the La Masia academy.
The playmaker couldn’t make the grade with Arsenal though, and has become something of a nomad, ending up with the likes of Atletico Madrid, Braga, Hercules, Atletico Paranaense, Huesca and now Osasuna.
Having settled down with his last two clubs, Merida is attracting interest once again, with Leeds now keen to offer him a return to England – and a possible reunion with two of his former team-mates.
Merida knows playmaker Samu Saiz, who joined Leeds over the summer and has already taken Elland Road by storm, from his time with Huesca, and joining forces again could be appealing.
Being able to use Merida and Saiz together again could be appealing given how impressive they were for Huesca together, and Merida also knows defender Luke Ayling.
Ayling, one of Leeds’ most consistent performers, was in the Arsenal ranks alongside Merida, turning out for the youth and reserve teams alongside the Spaniard whilst even being on the bench together for first-team games.
Merida admitted to Yahoo Sport in 2015 that he had struggled with his confidence with some clubs, and if he even thinks about coming back to England, having familiar faces like Ayling and Saiz around could be ideal.
The pair can step up to help Merida settle in having struggled so much in his first spell in England, and the presence of two of his former team-mates may make Leeds a more appealing proposition for the Spanish midfielder ahead of the January transfer window.
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