Transfers

Leeds United face competition as top-flight club make move for reported Whites transfer target

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Cagliari have made a bid to sign Fiorentina midfielder Erick Pulgar, a report from CalcioMercato has claimed.

Pulgar has been strongly linked with a move to Leeds United during the current January transfer window, although it now seems as though competition is emerging for the Whites in their pursuit of the Chilean international.

In the absence of some established central midfield cover for Kalvin Phillips, Leeds have struggled in the centre of the park at times this season, and it appears as though Pulgar has emerged as a candidate to fill that role at Elland Road.

La Nazione have claimed that Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa is keen to sign Pulgar, while CalcioMercato have previously suggested that the Whites could be ready pay up to £22.5million for the 27-year-old.

However, it now seems as though Leeds are not alone in their attempts to secure the midfielder’s services during the current transfer window.

According to this latest update from CalcioMercato, Fiorentina’s Serie A rivals Cagliari have made an offer to sign Pulgar before the market closes.

It remains to be seen what the nature of this offer is, or whether it will be accepted by Fiorentina, but with two-and-a-half years remaining on his current contract, La Viola are in a strong position to negotiate any offers that do come in for Pulgar between now and the end of the current window.

You do feel as though Leeds have to consider making a move for Pulgar in response to this.

It does seem as though it will be a quiet transfer window at Elland Road, but as we have seen during the first half of the season, that could prove costly if the club do not bring in an alternative option to Phillips.

Pulgar is clearly someone who could do that well for Leeds, so you feel there would be a sense of frustration around the club if they were to miss out on his signature without too much of a fight.

Indeed, at 27-years-old, Pulgar still has plenty of time remaining in his career, meaning he could be an asset to the Yorkshire club for the foreseeable future, and given it will be harder to get him in the next few years if he does complete a move to Cagliari or elsewhere, which could then come back to haunt them.

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UCLan Sports Journalism graduate. Have been working for Leeds All Over since summer 2020, and can only be found writing on Football League World.