Marcelo Bielsa has always insisted that he needs no more players at Leeds United, that his dual-purpose squad can cope with being stretched this way and that way.
However, he has conceded that any players coming in to his side MUST be better than what he already has at his disposal at Elland Road. Combine the both and Leeds United fans were not sure whether any business would be done at all during the now open January transfer window.
However, as the following tweet states, Bielsa has admitted that there are gaps that need filling, one of them being on the wing.
MB on transfers: “Samu Saiz left, Pablo now plays as a playmaker and we need a winger. The injury of Jamal Blackman has not been covered by another player. These are the two positions that were solved at the start of the competition and now we’re trying to find another one” #lufc
— Lee Sobot (@LeeSobotYEP) January 4, 2019
Now that Bielsa has admitted that Leeds are “trying to find another,” that brings hope to fans of an incoming player. Of course, there are many players out there that the Whites could bring in, many permutations.
One player though, whose contract is ending in June this year, is FC Groningen winger Mimoun Mahi. Mahi is, of course, a player that the Whites were linked with back in late 2017/early 2018.
The question is, should the Whites revisit that former interest and take on the young Moroccan international with an eye for goal?
He’s currently playing out in the Dutch top-tier Eredivisie for Groningen, and playing well. In 13 games this current campaign, the two-cap Moroccan international has scored five times and provided four assists. These five goals form part of a larger picture of 36 goals and 18 assists for Groningen.
Bringing in the speedy winger would likely see the Whites not having to rely on the less productive Jack Harrison, currently on loan from Manchester City. The five goals alone would likely indicate that he’s capable, more than capable, of crossing over from the Eredivisie to the Sky bet Championship and aiding Leeds United’s promotion charge.
With Mahi approaching the end of his current deal, and with Leeds United looking for a winger, it might be sound sense to test the waters somewhat with a January bid. A sensible option might be to look at a loan-to-buy arrangement with an agreed price tagged on.
