Leeds United have shown an ambitious interest in signing Benfica enforcer Florentino Luis with his agent admitting to ESPN that the Portugal starlet has ‘clubs in England following him closely’.
Now, we should probably point one thing out right off the bat. Leeds’ hopes of snatching one of the most coveted young midfielders in Europe depends, almost entirely, on whether there will be Premier League football at Elland Road next season.
Fortunately, Marcelo Bielsa has the West Yorkshire giants cruising at the top of the Championship. They are seven points clear of third place with a return to the Promised Land feeling like a matter of time.
And while Leeds may be up against it, given that Florentino has also been linked with Manchester United, Manchester City, AC Milan and more, the ‘Bielsa factor’ cannot be underestimated.
After all, Leeds’ enigmatic manager is renowned across the world for helping talented young players realise their potential. Just ask Kalvin Phillips, Ander Herrera, Nicolas Pepe and co.
“I can tell you that there is a lot of competition for his services, with clubs in England, Germany and Spain also following him closely,” admits the 20-year-old’s agent.
“Florentino is one of the highest rated young defensive midfielders in Europe, so there is a lot of interest in him at the moment.”
ESPN adds that Benfica may be willing to let Florentino leave on an initial loan deal, similar to the agreement that saw Gedson Fernandes join Tottenham on an 18-month agreement in January.
Considering that Florentino has a £52 million release clause in his contract, Leeds will surely jump at the chance to snap him up for next to nothing.
A brilliant ball winner who averages 4 interceptions and three tackles per game (better stats than Kalvin Phillips), Florentino has slipped down the pecking order at Benfica since the January arrival of Julian Weigl from Borussia Dortmund.
And, with Man City also interested, do not rule out the prospect of Florentino joining the Premier League champions – and then being loaned out to Leeds a la Jack Harrison.
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