Leeds United could be forgiven for looking on at Barcelona’s expected transfer business with a tinge of regret, as they look to sign a player who nearly moved to Elland Road.
The summer of 2020 was a busy one for Leeds, as Victor Orta looked to build a squad capable of competing in the top flight.
Marcelo Bielsa inspired Leeds to a ninth-place finish in their first season back in the Premier League, having had his squad bolstered by several big-name signings.
Orta brought in several expensive signings, with Rodrigo joining Leeds from Valencia for a fee in the region of £27 million, Raphinha costing the Whites around £18 million, and others such as Robin Koch and Diego Llorente also joining from the continent.
Now, one of the transfer targets Leeds were linked with that summer could be set to finally link up with Raphinha at Barcelona, five years after he came close to joining the Whites.
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Barcelona could sign former Leeds United transfer target
According to a report in Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona are considering a move for Manchester City defender Josko Gvardiol in the summer transfer window.
Gvardiol was a young player at Dinamo Zagreb in the summer of 2020 and had impressed in the Croatian league after breaking into the first team in the 2019/20 season.
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Leeds were heavily linked with a move for the defender in the 2020 summer transfer window; however, he elected to join RB Leipzig instead, before eventually moving to the Premier League with Manchester City.
Now, the report from the Spanish publication has suggested that Barcelona want to take him to the Nou Camp, which would see him link up with former Leeds favourite Raphinha.
Any Leeds fan seeing the news will be struck with a tinge of regret and a sense of what could have been, after the Whites came so close to bringing the talented Croatian defender to Elland Road in 2020.
Josko Gvardiol during Manchester City v Brentford - Carabao Cup Quarter Final
Photo by Alex Livesey – Danehouse/Getty Images
How close did Josko Gvardiol really come to joining Leeds United?
Although failed transfer rumours can always be taken with a pinch of salt, Gvardiol has admitted that his potential move to Elland Road came extremely close.
Speaking in 2021, via Leeds Live, Gvardiol admitted that he was in nearly daily contact with the Whites about the transfer, before concerns over how he would adapt to life in the Premier League at such a young age convinced him to accept the offer from Leipzig instead.
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“If I have to remember Suarez, I remember him not for what he said about me, but for what he contributed to the Copa America,” Bielsa said.
“This incident highlights two things: you can complain, you can make accusations, you can do it publicly, and you can avoid the path we all choose.
“If there are disputes at home, don’t open the window for others to see how we fight. This applies to our homes, and it applies to the national team.”
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“Bielsa personally, as well as the people from the club, called me on a daily basis,” Gvardiol said: “It was amazing. I couldn’t believe such a big club and a great manager like him would consider me for their team. And it was always my dream to play in England too.”
He added: “I reminded myself I’m only 18 and I’m not really sure how I would fit at Leeds, especially with all that packed schedule. I’d probably have been massacred there at this phase.
“I liked the way both Leeds and Leipzig approached me, but I’ve decided Germany is the better option for my long-term development.”
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