Leeds United are reportedly one of four Premier League clubs keeping an eye on Paraguay international and Gremio midfielder Mathias Villasanti.
Planet Sport claim that the 25-year-old has been tracked by the Whites as well as Brentford, Southampton and Watford, with Villasanti likely to be available at a bargain price in the summer following Gremio’s relegation to the second-tier of Brazilian football.
The historic South American club were relegated last season just four years after winning the Copa Libertadores, with tensions with fans rising this weekend when Villasanti himself was attacked by supporters, causing Gremio’s match against Internacional to be suspended as per Eurosport.
Such traumatic events could lead to Villasanti leaving Gremio and Brazil as a whole, and with clubs like Leeds now reportedly interested in the South American, a steal of a transfer could be on the cards.
With Villasanti playing 21 times for Paraguay, signing him will be no trouble for Leeds and other Premier League clubs based on current Brexit rules, and with Gremio now in the Brazilian Serie B, the South Americans could allow their star midfielder to leave for free.
Labelled as an intelligent yet combative defensive midfielder, Villasanti has starred for the likes of Gremio and Paraguayan giants Cerro Porteno. Yet following these latest events in Brazil, the 25-year-old could be tempted to switch to the Premier League.
Villasanti could be an outstanding signing for Leeds
Brexit might have made European transfers hard for Premier League clubs, yet the new rules have in turn made it so that established internationals from the likes of South America are now much easier to obtain, which could make Villasanti a solid signing for Leeds.
With Kalvin Phillips’ future up in the air, Villasanti could prove to be a solid back-up for the England international or even a direct replacement for the Leeds man, and with Gremio in crisis, a genuine bargain is there to be made if the Whites play their cards right.
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