Marc Roca jetted into England on Friday ahead of his unveiling as a Leeds United player. But will the Bayern Munich benchwarmer be the first and last Bundesliga midfielder to pack his bags, dust off his passport and brush up on his West Yorkshire slang before the summer is out?
Perhaps not. At least, not now that RB Leipzig have completed the £10 million signing of Wolfsburg’s muscle-bound Swiss international Xaver Schlager (BuliNews).
“My feeling is yes, he is going to leave the club this summer,” Fabrizio Romano told the Que Golazo Podcast recently when quizzed about the prospect of Tyler Adams reuniting with former Red Bull Arena coach Jesse Marsch at Elland Road.
“At the moment there is still nothing agreed with any club, but many clubs are exploring this possibility, including Leeds.
“Of course, he’s a name they (are considering) in Leeds. With Jesse Marsch, it’s normal to consider him as an interesting opportunity for the midfield.”
Will Leeds United reunite Jesse Marsch with Tyler Adams?
Two of Leeds three signings so far this summer (if you include Roca) have played under Marsch before; Rasmus Kristensen and Brenden Aaronson. Adams, however, not only shared a dressing room with the Wisconsin-born coach in North Germany. Their relationship goes back years.
And, as you might imagine from a player so highly admired by Marsch and the Red Bull bosses, Adams is a player brimming with energy and endeavour.
“Tyler is tenacious. He’s aggressive. He’s confident on the ball,” Marsch said after handing an 18-year-old Adams his first 90 minute outing in the MLS in the colours of New York Red Bulls in 2017.
“He wins his duels. He’s fast in there, he covers ground, he pressures well, he breaks up plays, and he’s a competitor. I could go on because we think so highly of him.”
Unfortunately for Adams, all those attributes could easily be applied to Schlager too. The player who’s arrival looks, for all intents and purposes, to spell the end of his Leipzig career.
While one door closes, however, another opens. Few players end up working for the same manager at three different clubs during their career. Even further manage that feet before their 24th birthday.
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