Leeds United are determined to add Huesca defender Javi Galan to Marcelo Bielsa’s side, according to Radio Huesca.
Galan is one of several players likely leaving the Estadio El Alcoraz in the summer transfer market. The 26-year-old was one of the rarer positives of the Oscenses’ 2020/21 season, despite being relegated from La Liga.
The Aragon outfit missed out on top-flight survival on the final day of the campaign to Elche. Galan featured in 37 of Huesca’s fixtures, starting 34, across the left-hand channel, offering one goal and two assists.
His efforts have piqued the interest of Leeds, who are prepared to outbid Sevilla for the left-back’s services. Huesca want any interested party to pay the Spaniard’s €4million (£3.5m) release clause in full for a transfer.
But Sevilla are working to lower the Oscenses’ valuation to take Galan to the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium. Leeds, too, are keen to negotiate a lesser fee, but Director of Football Victor Orta is willing to at least offer more than Julen Lopetegui’s side.
Currently, neither Leeds nor Sevilla have formalised their interest with an official offer. The Whites need a new left-back with Ezgjan Alioski’s future in doubt and Brest defender Romain Perraud nearing a move to Southampton for €12m (£10.5m), according to L’Equipe.
Part of the problem for Huesca, though, is that Galan’s former side, Cordoba, would be owed 20% of any fee earned, per El Dia de Cordoba. They agreed on the clause as part of the €1m (£863k) deal that took the defender to Aragon in 2019.
TBR’s view: Leeds must beat Sevilla to Galan
While Leeds have offered Alioski a new contract to avoid his release, Orta must beat Sevilla to Galan. The Spaniard would be a bargain pick-up for the Whites chief and offer Bielsa depth, if not an instant starter.
Galan is a good presser of the ball and is solid at winning it back from opposition players. He is also very impressive with the ball at his feet, with only Lionel Messi (159) making a higher number of successful dribbles (121) in La Liga last season, per WhoScored.
Galan also delivered the fifth-most accurate crosses (48) across the Spanish top-flight last term and created the 25th-most chances (42) – level with Antoine Griezmann – in a side that would be relegated. So should only get better in a higher-calibre team like Leeds or Sevilla.