Leeds United are leading the race for £20 million Argentina international Lucas Martinez Quarta despite interest from AC Milan and Hertha Berlin in the River Plate stopper, according to El Intransigente.
And that sentence alone should only enhance to the growing sense of excitement a sleeping giant stirs from it’s slumber.
By 8pm on Thursday evening, Leeds United could be a Premier League team once again – after no less than 16 years outside of the Promised Land.
And what better way to announce their return to the big time than by making a Copa Libertadores-winning Albiceleste star to Elland Road?
Replacing the almost faultless Ben White will be easier said than done but, in Martinez Quarta, Leeds appear to be handing the baton over to precisely the right man.
The 24-year-old is a rock at the heart of Marcelo Gallardo’s all-conquering River Plate side and, like the Brighton-owned White, he looks a perfect fit for Marcelo Bielsa’s free-wheeling style of football.
According to El Intransigente, who first broke the news of Leeds’ interest a fortnight ago, West Yorkshire currently looks like Martinez Quarta’s most likely destination despite interest from Italy and Germany.
It is no secret that AC Milan are desperate to sign a new centre-back as part of their new £75 million summer rebuild.
While Hertha, despite their somewhat modest stature, have splashed the cash like a Shinawatra-era Manchester City since receiving some much-needed American investment earlier this year, snapping up Krzysztof Piatek, Matheus Cunha and Lucas Tousart for big money.
But, for Argentinians like Martinez Quarta, the chance to work under Marcelo Bielsa is an opportunity that cannot be missed.
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