Championship outfit Leeds United have appointed Marcelo Bielsa as their new manager. Known for being one of the most influential coaches in modern-day football, Bielsa has managed Argentina and Chile, as well as Athletic Bilbao and Marseille in the past.
His presence could give Leeds quite a boost in the ongoing transfer market as well. And as per reports, the Argentine’s arrival could help Leeds solve their goalkeeping conundrum.
Leeds are reportedly interested in signing Manchester City youngster Angus Gunn to solve their goalkeeping woes next season. A deal to bring Gunn on loan at Elland Road could be made easier due to Bielsa’s fantastic relationship with Pep Guardiola.
Gunn, 22, spent the last season on loan at Norwich and established himself as one of the finest goalkeepers in the Championship. He became a regular in the Canaries’ starting XI, appearing in a whopping 46 games under manager Daniel Farke.
Incidentally, the 22-year-old started his career with Norwich before moving to Manchester City in 2016. And over the course of the last season, Gunn maintained 15 clean sheets and conceded 60 goals as Farke’s Canaries finished in the 14th spot.
Regardless, Gunn managed to impress with a series of top-class displays between the sticks, which earned him an England call-up last November.
The Whites brought in Felix Wiedwald as a replacement for Robert Green last summer, but the German has failed to live up to the billing. Wiedwald was replaced by Bailey Peacock-Farrell midway through the season and even the Northern Irishman failed to repay the manager’s faith. In fact, he recorded just one clean sheet in his 11 games between the sticks, having conceded 18 times.
Although Peacock-Farrell impressed for Leeds in certain aspects, the Whites clearly need a commanding and quality player between the post next season. Gunn surely has the quality and the potential to be Leeds No.1 in goal after a fine season in the Championship.
Gunn is accomplished with the ball at his feet, which is a big bonus in the modern game. Furthermore, with Ederson and Claudio Bravo ahead of him in the pecking order at City, Gunn may need to leave Etihad on loan yet again to garner first-team experience.
A season-long loan to Leeds could work well for Gunn. Bielsa has the skills needed to enhance the young shot-stopper’s ball-playing abilities which will make him a better player in the near future. Hence, if Bielsa takes charge of Leeds, his first and foremost job must be to sign a deal with Gunn.
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