Earlier today, we covered the reports from O Jogo which ‘confirmed’ Leeds’ United interest in Benfica player Chris Willock.
Since Marcelo Bielsa is called ‘El Loco’ for a reason, we won’t question why he would want a player who’s not even ready to play for the Eagles first team. But something that must be considered is if the Whites can really get him.
O Jogo pointed out some quotes from Benfica president Luis Filipe Vieira saying that Willock must be one of the players in the first team squad for the next season.
This possibility would obviously harm Leeds’ chances, since a first team player would be much more expensive than a reserve.
O Jogo also couldn’t tell if Leeds would like a permanent or a loan deal, which means that any deal would be in the very early stages.
We’d say that having a player in the Championship is far better than keeping him in the reserve team, so Leeds should try a January loan with a buying option for next summer. That would be a win for both clubs.The problem is how much this option would be, since Benfica are hard negotiators, especially when selling players to English clubs.
Willock has two goals and two assists in nine appearances in Liga Pro this season, which is like the Premier League 2 in Portugal. The 20-year-old moved to Lisbon from Arsenal on a free transfer in the summer of 2017, but is still to get an official appearance for the Eagles.
