Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United reportedly want to bring Al-Sadd goal-machine Bounedjah to the Championship with promotion on the line.
Lionel Messi. Thierry Henry. Samuel Eto’o. Neymar. Fernando Torres. David Villa. Here are just six legendary centre-forwards who have played alongside the masterful Xavi Hernandez during his extraordinary career in the colours of Barcelona and Spain.
But none of them, not even the great Lionel Messi, can hold a candle to Baghdad Bounedjah when it comes to putting the ball in the back of the net.
An Algerian international who idolises Cristiano Ronaldo, Bounedjah plundered a remarkable 39 goals in 22 games last season in the Qatari top flight with Xavi pulling the strings at the heart of the Al-Sadd midfield.
The Catalan king is running the show from the touchline rather than the centre of the park these days, having been named Al-Sadd’s new head coach in May, but even without Xavi’s defence splitting passes Bounedjah is making goalscoring look like second nature.
He has nine in six so far in 2019/20 with four coming in a 7-1 thrashing of Al Shahania recently.
According to Competition.dz, Leeds United are now going head-to-head with two of Marcelo Bielsa’s former clubs, Marseille and Lille, to lure one of the world’s most lethal hitmen to Elland Road. And, speaking to Le Buteur, the £6.5 million-rated striker admitted that he has indeed received a number of offers some two months before the January window opens.
And while Xavi would be loathe to lose his talisman, one of the most respected figures in the game will be under no illusions that Bounedjah deserves a chance to prove himself in Europe.
“Bounedjah is an exceptional player. It happens, often, that he makes the difference,”the 2010 World Cup winner told Afrique Sports at the start of the season.
If there’s anyone who knows what it takes to make an ‘exceptional’ centre-forward, its Xavi.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
