According to Ed Aarons – Deputy news editor at Guardian Sport – Leeds United are interested in Nottingham Forest centre-back Yohan Benalouane.
Nottingham Forest defender Yohan Benalouane is interesting Championship promotion chasers Leeds United and Premier League side Cardiff City, Guardian Sport’s Ed Aarons understands. Aarons tweeted the news on Friday afternoon (see below):
Some interest in Tunisia defender Yohan Benalouane from Leeds and Cardiff. Former Leicester player's contract expires next summer
— Ed Aarons (@ed_aarons) March 22, 2019
The defender is out of contract with Nottingham Forest at the end of next season and Leeds United and Cardiff are reportedly on standby. Benalouane only moved to the City Ground from Leicester City during the January transfer window, but it isn’t stopping clubs from holding an interest.
Since his move to Forest, the Tunisian international has played 10 times for the club, missing only one game against Brentford after he was ruled out for a red card suspension. He has netted once in his short time with the club, scoring the only goal of the game against local rivals Derby County with just two minutes on the clock.
Throughout the first half of the season, Benalouane didn’t make a single appearance for Leicester, featuring for the club’s Under-23s side on five occasions. In his three and a half years at the King Power, the defender played 29 times for the club, spending a short spell on loan with Italian side Fiorentina during the 2015/16 season.
The 31-year-old has represented his country five times, making his debut in March 2018. He played once during Tunisia’s World Cup 2018 campaign, featuring in a 5-2 defeat to Belgium.
Forest could look to tie down the defender to a new contract in order to stave off the reported interest from Leeds United and Cardiff.
