Leeds United are on the hunt for a new manager, and apparently, one name they’re keen on is Nuno Espirito Santo.
Nuno would reportedly cost £5.3m in compensation if Leeds were to take him from Al-Ittihad, and while that would be costly, it could be worth it.
Indeed, Nuno would be arriving with a wealth of Premier League experience, and, perhaps more pertinently, a huge book of contacts within the game.
As Jorge Mendes client, Nuno is in a great position to call in a few favours from one of the biggest agents in world football, while he also has connections with one of Victor Orta’s long-term Leeds targets – Adama Traore.
Traore has been linked with Leeds for as long as we can remember – so much so that he’s become a bit of a joke figure amongst journalists covering Leeds for the number of times this rumour has cropped up.
While Traore has been somewhat inconsistent in recent years, there’s no doubt that on his day he’s one of the most exciting attacking players in the league. His raw pace and power have caused problems for defenders up and down the country.
Nuno Espirto Santo’s arrival at Elland Road could be the catalyst for this deal to finally happen. Nuno knows Traore well from his time at Wolves, and had him playing his best football during the 2019/20 season, where he scored four goals and provided nine assists in the league.
If Nuno were to take over at Leeds, it’s not hard to imagine that he and Orta would, once again, make Traore a top priority. He knows how to get the best out of him, and with the right coaching and guidance, there’s every chance Traore could become a fan favourite at Leeds.
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