Leeds United and Newcastle United have received a blow in their efforts to sign French youngster Alan Virginius, with the teenager to reject any offers from abroad to stay in France.
According to Le 10 Sport, the attacker is keen to develop as a player in his home country before moving to the Premier League, with the report stating that Virginius has attracted interest this summer from the likes of Newcastle and Bayer Leverkusen, with Leeds also reportedly interested in the forward.
A breakout star last season for Ligue 2 side FC Sochaux, the 19-year-old attacker is already a regular for France at youth level and was labelled in the aforementioned Le 10 Sport report as a ‘phenomenal’ talent, with many Ligue 1 sides now interested in signing the Newcastle and Leeds target.
Whilst Virginius has stated his intention to stay in France, there is a strong chance that the youngster will leave his boyhood club in Sochaux this summer, with LOSC Lille and OGC Nice interested in signing the attacker in a move that could be a lot easier for the top-flight clubs due to Newcastle and Leeds now being out of the running.
One of France’s most exciting youngsters and a player who experienced a lot of minutes last season in Ligue 2, Virginius is primed for a move to a bigger club this summer, and whilst Newcastle or Leeds would have been ideal for the teenager, staying in France is quite a smart decision from the attacker.
After all, Ligue 1 is regarded by many as one of, if not the, best leagues in Europe for a young player to play regular football and to develop his game, and Virginius signing for a Lille or a Nice could do wonders for the attacker’s development, as well as put the forward in the shop window next year for Premier League sides.
Newcastle or Leeds could move to sign Virginius in 2023 or beyond
Young players in this era of the game are becoming smarter in where they decide where their first big move will be, and for Virginius, the French attacker is following a similar path in deciding to stay in France and try his luck in breaking into Ligue 1, and for Newcastle and Leeds, they could both look to sign the winger next year.
Indeed, Virginius is at the start of his footballing career and still has much to learn before moving to the Premier League, and a year or two in Ligue 1 playing for a top side could be a perfect education the forward needs before moving to England to play for one of the country’s biggest sides in Newcastle or Leeds.
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