Leeds United have a star in holding midfield, as Kalvin Phillips is not only an Elland Road favourite but also an England international.
Phillips’ importance to Leeds cannot be overstated, and he is arguably the big success of Marcelo Bielsa’s time in charge of the club, developing into a key man.
When Phillips missed out at any point last season, Ben White would push forward into midfield, but he is now back at Brighton and Hove Albion following the end of his loan deal.
It’s unclear just who would play if Phillips misses out now; Robin Koch could feasibly be pushed into a holding midfield role, but Leeds allegedly looked into a possible signing for this role.
The Telegraph reported last month that Leeds were looking into a possible deal for AZ Alkmaaar captain Teun Koopmeiners, though no deal materialised before the transfer deadline.
Koopmeiners should certainly be a player Leeds keep tabs on. He has shown what a leader he is, whilst he can also play at centre back, with his ability as a left-footer providing great balance whether in defence or midfield.
The 22-year-old started for the Netherlands against Mexico on Wednesday night, making his international debut in a playmaking role most regularly given to Barcelona’s £65m star Frenkie de Jong.
Koopmeiners has now come in for major praise off the back of his performance, with Football Oranje quoting boss Frank de Boer as saying that he thought Koopmeiners played a ‘great match’ against Mexico.
De Boer noted that De Jong is so important, but didn’t want to sell Koopmeiners short, believing that he played ‘very well’ for 90 minutes.
Not only is Koopmeiners starring for AZ, but he’s now showing that he can be De Jong’s understudy on the international stage.
That kind of pedigree is what Leeds have been seeking with signings like Koch, Diego Llorente and Rodrigo Moreno, so don’t be surprised to see the Whites take another look at Koopmeiners in 2021.
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