The Leeds United manager is said to have checked on his one-time protégé.
Leeds United scouts watched Ezequiel Ponce in action for AEK Athens on Saturday, according to Clubcall.
The striker played under Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa at Lille. But what else is there to know about him?
Here’s five facts to get you up to speed…
5) Born in Bielsa’s hometown of Rosario, Ponce began his career at El Loco’s beloved Newell’s Old Boys, where he was once one of Argentine’s hottest teenage prospects.
4) Before his 2015 move to Europe, Ponce was often described as The New Batistuta, given his apparent likeness to the former Argentina, Fiorentina, and Roma striker, Gabriel. It was Roma who eventually landed the then-18-year-old for a reported fee of around £3.7 million.
3) …In doing so, Roma saw off interest from another of Bielsa’s former protégés, Mauricio Pochettino at Tottenham Hotspur – that is according to the then Newell’s president, Guillermo Llorente.
2) …But Ponce has yet to make a single appearance for Roma, instead spending time on loan to Granada, Lille and now AEK Athens – his most productive spell so far. The 21-year-old has scored five goals in eight league games for the Greek giants, who can reportedly buy him outright for around £5.25 million. Ponce only has one season left on his Roma deal, after this one.
1) Ponce holds dual Argentine and Spanish citizenship, and would therefore – at this pre-Brexit stage – not require a work permit in order to play for Leeds.
Would you like Ponce at Leeds?
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