What Leeds United Fans Can Expect From Rodrigo De Paul
By George Cannon
Leeds United are finally back in the Premier League after a 16-year absence and the Yorkshire side are doing everything they can to ensure they stay there.
Marcelo Bielsa has already added Valencia striker Rodrigo to his ranks for a club-record fee of £29m, as well as highly-rated German centre-half Robin Koch for £13.5m from Bundesliga outfit Freiburg.
But Leeds' summer of transfer fun is not finished there. Next on the list of targets appears to be Udinese midfielder Rodrigo De Paul, whom director of football Victor Orta has already agreed personal terms with.
The 26-year-old has caught the eye during his four-year stint in Italy and incase you don't know much about him, here's why the Whites want to bring him to Elland Road.
Excitement
The central midfielder has bagged 25 goals and provided 25 assists in just 146 games for Udinese, meaning he has contributed towards a goal in just over a third of his matches for the Italian outfit. He created several of these chances through exceptional set-pieces after becoming Udinese's primary corner and free-kick taker.
De Paul also has excellent dribbling skills and exploits them to great effect. He likes to drift towards the right-hand side of the pitch before cutting inside on his stronger left foot and unleashing a long-range strike at goal, similar to how Arjen Robben made his name. It may be a simple tactic but it's an effective one for De Paul as the midfielder bagged four goals from outside of the box in 2018/19, more than anyone else in Serie A.
Udinese have a reputation for developing exciting South American talent before selling them on for a healthy profit. De Paul would be joining an illustrious list, including the likes of Alexis Sanchez and Juan Cuadrado, if he makes the leap to Elland Road.
Movement and Passing
The majority of Udinese's build-up play currently goes through De Paul. Often it doesn't matter if they try to go through the middle or on the right-hand side as although he primarily plays centrally, the Argentine international tends to drift all around the pitch, helping in transitions.
De Paul often ends up occupying the half-spaces on both sides of the field, as well as joining centrally. He provides runs using his speed, another useful asset that the South American possesses. He also has a tendency to switch the play, utilising his passing range by playing long, well-measured balls in order to bypass the press and deliver the ball forwards.
All of these skills and attributes make it clear as to why Bielsa has identified the midfielder as the man he wants to join his Leeds revolution and should mean De Paul fits into the former Athletic Club manager's setup without too much trouble.
Champions League and International Experience
It's not often a newly promoted side can attract a player with both Champions League and international experience, but Leeds still clearly possess significant pulling power, especially with Bielsa at the helm.
De Paul has played 17 times for Argentina since making his debut in 2018 and has become a staple of La Albiceleste's midfield. He has also featured twice in the Champions League for Valencia, albeit back in the 2015/16 season, and was on the wrong end of consecutive 2-0 scorelines with the Spanish giants.
These experiences don't guarantee a smooth transition into the fast paced nature of the Premier League but they will certainly help.
Defensively Fragile
Like most attacking flair players from the southern hemisphere, De Paul's strengths lie very much with the ball going forwards rather than when he has to defend without it.
Although the Argentine is accomplished at drawing fouls and is very effective on the counter-attack, helping his team out defensively when high up the pitch, he's less useful when it comes to his defensive awareness in and around his box.
De Paul made just 1.8 tackles per 90 throughout 2019/20 compared to Kalvin Phillips' 2.6 challenges. The young English midfielder may be more vulnerable with the Udinese man ahead of him in the Premier League and it's an issue Bielsa may have to address upon his arrival, especially when the Championship champions are facing the traditional big six.