Leeds United will have to fight off the Milan giants and pay up to £18 million to sign Stuttgart’s natural-born ‘winner’ Nicolas Gonzalez this summer, according to Tag24.
While Patrick Bamford has responded bullishly to suggestions that a new number nine should be right at the top of Victor Orta’s transfer hit-list, David O’Leary is not alone in expressing doubts about the former Middlesbrough ace.
Bamford have scored 16 times as Leeds sealed the Championship title, not to mention a long-awaited return to the Premier League.
But, for all the blood, sweat and tears he has committed willingly to the cause, question marks remain about Bamford’s ability to do the one thing that strikers are paid the big bucks for – score goals, or at least, enough of them.
There is no such concerns about Gonzalez’s finish skills, however.
Like Bamford, a typically Tigerish Argentine has shaken a sleeping giant from their slumber, firing Stuttgart into the Bundesliga after a second-placed finish in 2019/20.
And, according to Ole, Marcelo Bielsa has identified Gonzalez as the man capable of competing with Bamford for a place in Leeds’ starting XI next season.
Tag24, however, claim that the 22-year-old also has interest from Inter, AC Milan, Atalanta and Valencia with Stuttgart demanding somewhere in the region of £18 million for their talismanic top scorer.
“There are many qualities that I appreciate at Nico. But what I like most is that he is a winner. He brings with the necessary emotions and goes the extra mile,” Stuttgart coach Pellegrino Matarazzo says.
A lethal number nine who wears his heart on his sleeve and would do anything for three points? That certainly sounds like the sort of player Leeds fans can get behind.
Speaking to TMW last week, Gonzalez admitted that ‘I want to leave’ Stuttgart this summer.
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