Even though the rumours linking Leeds United to the Sporting defender Tobias Figueiredo have gone quite cold lately, it seems the transfer is still considered very possible in Portugal.
The player may not have moved at the start of the transfer window, but local papers are still wondering where he will spend the second half of the season.
Sporting defender Jeremy Mathieu picked up an injury in the derby against Benfica on Wednesday, and as he should miss four or five games, the local press has stories today about his substitute. That’s where the good news come from.
Correio da Manhã claims that André Pinto is more likely to replace the Frenchman, especially because Tobias Figueiredo ‘could still leave’ the club in January.
And the most optimistic update comes from Record. They claim that Tobias Figueiredo’s departure would convince Sporting to buy a new defender, and not the other way around, like we’ve seen many times.
Regarding interested clubs, Record claims there are ‘many’ Championship sides in the list and the departure ‘isn’t ruled out’ for now.
Figueiredo wants to play more, and a deal will be found if Sporting receive enough money and the player feels like he’ll have better chances at his new club.
But with ‘many’ Championship sides interested in him, maybe it’s time for Leeds to open their eyes and finally make a move.
We reckon, despite Sporting’s continued thirst for money, that Leeds United could almost dictate their own terms on this one, as long as the club dangle a carrot for a bigger chunk of money in the summer.
A Pedraza type deal, a loan with a good fee if Leeds United get promoted, sounds like just the plan.
