Manchester United have been linked with a shock raid on their historic rivals Leeds United in the summer, with Tyler Adams in their cross hairs.
That is according to Football Insider, who claim that the USA international could fetch a price over over £35m in the upcoming transfer window.
Leeds are currently second from bottom of the Premier League table and are favourites to be the next team relegated, with Opta forecasting The Whites to have a 97% chance of going down.
Should that happen, Leeds will need to sell players in order to offset the loss of broadcasting revenue, and would be willing to part with Adams at the aforementioned fee.
Given that the player is among the top earners at Elland Road, with a £57,000-a-week contract (SalarySport), it would make sense for Leeds to offload the player should they suffer the drop.
They signed him only last summer for a deal worth up to £20m, but finances could lead to an early exit.
The American midfielder has impressed since moving to England with his tenacity and energy, ranking in the top 2% of all midfielders in Europe’s ‘Big 5’ leagues for tackles per 90 minutes, and the top 3% for blocks in the last year (Fbref).
He also made life incredibly difficult for England during the USA’s World Cup group stage match against England, earning plaudits.
Man United’s recruitment are said to be impressed with Adams’ ‘dynamism and energy’ as Erik ten Hag looks to bolster his midfield options.
But while the ball-winner has some good qualities, he does not seem to fit the profile of player the Dutchman has been looking to add.
He is not much of an asset in possession, lacking in either an eye for a pass, or the ability to consistently beat a press.
Offering practically no creativity or goal-threat, it is hard to see where the Leeds man would fit in at Old Trafford, although he could provide Brazil star Casemiro with some much-needed relief.
Leave a Reply