Why Leeds United must bring in Adolfo Gaich from San Lorenzo
According to a report from Football Insider (h/t Leeds Live), Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa has identified compatriot Adolfo Gaich as the man to lead the attack for the Whites next season. The player has a £12million release clause in his contract.
The 21-year-old Gaich is the product of the San Lorenzo youth setup. The Argentine striker made his first-debut in August 2018 but was in and out of the team for the rest of the campaign due to injury problems.
Gaich did get a more regular run of games in the 2019/20 campaign before the season was stopped due to the pandemic. So far, the 21-year-old has featured 27 times for the San Lorenzo first-team, bagging seven goals and one assist in the process.
Leeds United need attacking reinforcements in summer
While Marcelo Bielsa’s side have been good at both ends of the pitch, it goes without saying that the squad will need strengthening in the summer, especially if they are going to be competing in the English top-flight. The Whites’ focus should be on beefing up their attacking department considering that they have just two permanent strikers on the books currently.
Indeed, Patrick Bamford and Tyler Roberts are the only two permanent centre-forwards at Bielsa’s disposal at the moment. Amongst them, Roberts isn’t even much of a regular in the side, having been sparingly used by the manager. Leeds did sign Jean-Kevin Augustin on loan in January, but he hardly got the time to make an impact before the season was halted.
While Bamford has impressed in spurts, the former Chelsea ace needs more quality competition in the squad. Plus, Leeds need to have adequate backup for the position as well. Hence, they should make it a priority to sign a new striker.
Gaich, to that end, would be a viable option for the Championship leaders. While he doesn’t have a lot of experience under his belt, the 21-year-old has displayed potential in spades so far. In the 2019/20 campaign, Gaich has featured 13 times across all competitions, bagging five goals and an assist.
The 21-year-old has been an impressive performer for the Argentine national teams across all age groups. He scored 7 goals in 14 matches for the U20s and has one goal in six for the U23s as well. In addition, he also made his debut for the senior Argentina national team in September last year.
Gaich’s addition would add more depth to the centre-forward department at Leeds United. And under the tutelage of an accomplished manager like Bielsa, the 21-year-old can grow into a key player for the Whites in the coming years.
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Verdict
Leeds United need a new striker in the summer without a doubt. And recruiting Gaich, to that end, would be a step in the right direction. The 21-year-old has demonstrated good potential so far and given his age, he will only improve under the watchful guidance of Bielsa.
