Who Is This £2m Frenchman Leeds United Are Trying To Sign? – Everything You Need To Know

Scout Report – Hadi Sacko

Having faced the potential loss of numerous players following the end of their contracts, Leeds United fans have received better news that club are looking to sign winger Hadi Sacko on a permanent contract. 

The French winger spent last season on loan at Elland Road from Portuguese giants Sporting Lisbon and seems to have done enough to convince the new owner at Leeds to make the transfer permanent. According to a report from France Football, Sacko is expected to sign a contract until 2020 with the Yorkshire club.

United are thought to be paying Sporting around £2m to keep Sacko at Elland Road, who made 42 appearances during his loan spell. But he was often criticised by some fans for a lack of end product. What do we know and what can we expect from the wide man? Let’s find out.

History

Born in France, Sacko represented Les Bleus at under-16, 18, 19 and 20 levels. His youth career took in spells at Corbeil-Essonne, Bretigny Foot, and Bordeaux before breaking through to the first team at Bordeaux.

Having made just 29 appearances in France for Bordeaux and during a loan spell with Le Havre, he was snapped up by Sporting to play in their B team. 55 league games were played by Sacko for their second string, followed by a loan spell at Sochaux (12 apps) and then now Leeds have him at the point he is at now.

Style Of Play

Playing mainly as a winger on the right-hand side, he likes to take defenders on and cut in on his favoured left foot.  Giving the ball away an average of 2.6 times per game is a concerning part of his game and goes hand-in-hand with his penchant for running at defences without necessarily seeing a pass, something he will need to improve, especially if Leeds manage to retain striker Chris Wood.

His Future

Given his international representation at the junior levels, there is little doubt that Sacko was seen by the federation in France as a future full international. The fact that he is only 23-years old seems to indicate that all is not lost in that regard. So with a ‘glass half full’ attitude, Leeds may consider themselves to have a future Premier League star at their disposal.

Who Sacko eventually represents in the Premier League is open to question, though with improvement from him and others next season, it could well turn out to be Leeds United.