Mehdi Abeid can strengthen Leeds United’s midfield in January
According to France Football, Championship hopeful Leeds United have expressed an interest in Dijon FCO’s Algerian international midfielder Mehdi Abeid.
The 26-year-old has only six months remaining on his current contract and the Peacocks have an option of buying him outright or they can choose to negotiate a pre-contract agreement which will see the player arrive at Elland Road next summer.
Abeid, who has been capped thrice at the senior international level, has been one of the brightest sparks of Dijon’s otherwise lacklustre campaign in the Ligue 1 this season, impressing with 3 goals from 17 appearances.
A man no stranger to English football, Abeid joined Newcastle United back in 2011 from the Lens academy. However, he didn’t really get a fair crack of the whip at Tyneside and was loaned out to Greek giants Panathinaikos for the 2013-14 season, where he excelled with his performances, contributing 7 goals and 5 assists to help his team qualify for the Champions League.
The Algerian’s return to Tyneside was marred by injuries and Newcastle offloaded him to Panathinaikos in a permanent deal later on.
Abeid joined Ligue 1 outfit Dijon back in 2016 in a three-year deal and has accumulated 6 goals and 3 assists from 66 appearances across all competitions. However, a move might well be on the cards, with just six months left in his contract.
Essentially a central midfielder by trade, Abeid is known for his combative nature, strength, stamina, work-rate and passing abilities. He is also capable of playing in a more advanced role and out wide on the flanks.
The 26-year-old has quick feet and silky dribbling skills, which combined with his technique and determination, allows him to embark on powerful driving runs forward from midfield. He likes to keep the ball moving in the centre of the park and has the vision to change the point of the attack, picking out the runs of his teammates to contribute to the build-up play.
Not only does he have the ability to break up the opposition’s attacks with crucial interceptions and tackles but he also has the awareness to get inside the box to score goals.
To put things into perspective, he would be a good signing for Leeds United in January, with the Peacocks currently the favourites to secure automatic promotion to the Premier League. Given that he has the experience of playing in European competitions, Marcelo Bielsa’s side can hugely benefit from his presence in their ranks.
Leeds are yet to sign a replacement for Samuel Saiz, who has left the Championship leaders to join Getafe. Saiz’s absence has forced Bielsa to use Pablo Hernández in a more central role in the midfield alongside Klich, with Jack Clarke on the right and Adam Forshaw at the base of the midfield. However, someone like Abeid in the middle of the park can allow the manager to revert to his previous tactics.
