Leeds United are all in favour of a deal to deliver Los Angeles FC expertise Jose Cifuentes to Elland Highway this summer time.
That’s in response to a current report by French media outlet Jeunes Footeux (through Leeds Stay), who declare that Victor Orta seems set to hitch each Leicester Metropolis, SS Napoli and an unnamed Ligue 1 facet within the race for the 23-year-old central midfielder’s signature in the summertime switch window.
The report goes on to state that, with the Ecuador worldwide’s present contract on the Banc of California Stadium set to run out within the winter of 2023, the Main League Soccer outfit are stated to be demanding a determine within the area of £5m with a view to half with the previous CD Universidad Catolica starlet this summer time.
Excellent Klich substitute
With Leeds United midfielder Mateusz Klich being linked with a transfer away from Elland Highway this summer time, ought to the Poland worldwide go on to maneuver onto pastures new within the coming weeks, Cifuentes might nicely be one thing of an ideal substitute for the 32-year-old.
Certainly, the £5.85m-rated expertise has been in outstanding type over his 22 MLS appearances for LAFC to this point this season, scoring six objectives, registering 5 assists and creating six large possibilities for his teammates, in addition to taking a mean of two.0 photographs, making 1.1 key passes and finishing 1.8 dribbles per recreation.
The £6.1k-per-week Ecuadorian has additionally impressed in metrics extra typical of his place, making a mean of two.0 tackles, 0.5 interceptions, 29 passes, 1.5 lengthy balls and successful 5.0 duels per fixture.
These returns have seen the 23-year-old who John Thorrington dubbed “dynamic” and claimed has an “eye for purpose” common a fairly spectacular SofaScore match score of 7.10, not solely rating him as Steve Cherundolo’s joint third-best performer within the league but additionally because the joint Forty sixth-best participant within the division as an entire.
As compared, over Klich’s 33 Premier League fixtures in 2021/22, the £2.7m-rated midfielder provided the Whites little in assault, scoring one purpose, registering two assists and creating two large possibilities for his teammates, along with taking a mean of 1.3 photographs, making 0.9 key passes and finishing 0.6 dribbles per recreation.
The £34k-per-week veteran additionally struggled in metrics extra typical of his place, making a mean of simply 1.4 tackles, 0.3 interceptions, 23.7 passes, 0.8 lengthy balls and successful a mere 2.7 duels per outing.
These returns noticed the Pole common an especially disappointing SofaScore match score of 6.67, rating him as Jesse Marsch’s Eleventh-worst performer within the prime flight of English soccer final season.
As such, whereas the Premier League is undoubtedly a more difficult division than the MLS, it’s evident that Cifuentes betters Klich’s output in virtually each midfield metric, main us to consider that, ought to the 32-year-old certainly safe a transfer away from Elland street this summer time, the £5m LAFC expertise would make an ideal substitute for the 40-cap worldwide.
