Leeds United are linked with Mexico international Andres Guardado.
The Mexico international has 142 caps for his country and can do a job at left-back, left wing-back or defensive midfield.
Leeds’ Director of Football Victor Orta seems to be partial to signing a utility player, with many of his summer recruits capable of performing in different roles and while Guardado makes sense in that regard, the price-tag means the Championship club should probably give him a wide berth.
The report from El Gol Digital claimed that the Whites are willing to spend £5.2 million on him and though it must be exciting for fans to see rumours of a big-money move, is it the right big-money move?
Guardado is 31 and will be 32 early on in the 2018-19 campaign. Not only will he have very little resale value by the end of his contract, but splashing out £5.2 million on a player with no experience in England has to be a gamble.
Samu Saiz and Egzjan Alioski, who cost a combined £6.3 million, were also big-money gambles that have certainly paid off, but they are in the prime of their careers.
Not that Guardrado will be considering retirement any time soon, but he is no spring chicken and that is a hell of a lot of money for a player whose best days are surely behind him.
Leeds are eighth in the Championship, five points off the top six and Orta needs to ask himself whether a player like Guardado, who has been playing defensive midfield this season, is going to be the difference between promotion and failure.
If not, surely that £5 million could be better used in addressing other areas of the United squad.
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