Leeds United’s summer of vast change is well and truly underway, with another addition reportedly new on their list…
Who are Leeds United signing this summer?
That’s according to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano, who took to Twitter just last night to detail the Whites’ interest
in Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Edouard Michut.
The Frenchman spent last season on loan at Sunderland and impressed with his quick feet and maturity despite being so
young. It seems that given the Yorkshire outfit have now sunk into the Championship, where he excelled most recently, this
youngster could be integral in their push for promotion.
The Italian journalist claimed:
“Leeds United are among several clubs interested in Edouard Michut from Paris Saint-Germain. Deal will depend on
conditions decided by PSG in the coming days”.
It was reported that the Black Cats opted against paying the €2.5m (£2.1m) buy clause they had within his loan contract,
now leaving an opportunity for Daniel Farke to instead profit.
Who is Edouard Michut?
Although a relative unknown when he first moved to the Stadium of Light, it did not take long for fans throughout the
division to take note of this slight midfield maestro.
Scout Jacek Kulig had already detailed the key talents he possessed, many of which he showcased upon his debut year in
English football. He emphasised the following attributes as ‘very strong’: his passing, vision, technique, ball control and
pace.
Given the Yorkshire side will be seeking someone of quality to pair with the tough-tackling Tyler Adams, this 20-year-old
sensation could be just that man.
Across his 20 Championship appearances last term, a 6.64 average rating massively underplays the importance he had on
Tony Mowbray’s playoff-chasing outfit. After all, this 88% pass accuracy and 52% dribble success rate were integral in
progressing the play in the middle of the park, whilst he chipped in with an admirable 1.7 tackles per game too, via Sofascore.
Journalist Josh Bunting would outline one standout game in particular, noting:
“Michut was quality this afternoon, ran all over must have covered every blade of grass. Broke up play and was key to playing
in between the lines. So much potential there and he’s only going to get better, work ethic and quality was right were on it.”
Such quality combined with an ability to stick a foot in, alongside their shared nationality, makes it hard not to draw
comparisons with former Leeds gem Olivier Dacourt.
Despite only spending three short years at Elland Road, he was part of both some of their best and worst moments as a club.
The 48-year-old starred in their run to the Champions League semi-finals and yet was an unfortunate casualty of the
financial troubles that led to their 2004 relegation. He would depart just before that miserable eventuality though.
His manager at the time, David O’Leary, even noted how important he saw the Frenchman in his plan for European
domination:
“Then there was Olivier Dacourt, who I’d been impressed with when he was at Everton. I thought he would be ideal for us,
and it was then about getting him to come to Leeds and selling him the dream of what he wanted to do. Again, we got our
man – Olivier was another brilliant signing who improved the team.”
His class and tenacious style made him a fan favourite, with his belief and love felt by the supporters.
“I was sure they would become what Manchester United had become,” he would tell The Athletic when speaking about the
potential his Whites side had. Whilst that would never come to fruition, his presence did help elevate them to a level they
haven’t come close to realising since.
Whilst Michut is still raw and not quite as intelligent in breaking up the play as Dacourt was, a switch to Elland Road could
see him follow in his footsteps both literally and technically.
Perhaps he could underpin Farke’s midfield for the next decade, helping them once again return to the top flight and inch
towards those famous European nights which have been missed so dearly.
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