The Leeds United transfer target got his first Championship minutes during Leicester City's 2-1 weekend win over Sheffield Wednesday.
Top-flight transfer interest in Bilal El Khannouss will only have intensified over the weekend following his dazzling display in Leicester City’s 2-1 defeat of Sheffield Wednesday.
Leeds are known to hold an interest in El Khannouss with the YEP reporting earlier this month that enquiries had been made, albeit nothing is thought to have progressed since. Reports elsewhere suggest a £24.5million release clause will expire later this week and other Premier League clubs are also weighing up a possible move.
On his first Championship appearance, El Khannouss was the standout player on Sunday as Leicester came from behind to beat 10-man Wednesday at the King Power Stadium. The 21-year-old was on set-piece duties to set up second-half goals for Jannik Vestergaard and Wout Faes, the latter coming late on.
El Khannouss was deployed in his natural No.10 role and looked a level above anyone else at the King Power Stadium, albeit against a Wednesday side that are in crisis. The Moroccan international’s first assist was a little fortunate, with a poor free-kick finding its way to Vestergaard, but his corner for Faes’ winner was inch-perfect.
Including those two assists, El Khannouss created four chances for his teammates with an expected assists (xA) total of 0.34. The young attacking midfielder also racked up an expected goals (xG) total of 0.59 - the highest of anyone involved in the game - while completing all of his three dribble attempts, according to FotMob.
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Those numbers were backed up by the eye-test too, with El Khannouss often appearing to float through the game, gliding past Wednesday defenders and effortlessly clipping passes into dangerous areas. The silky Moroccan drifted over to the left on occasion and linked up brilliantly with Stephy Mavididi, the pair standing out above their attacking teammates amid transfer interest.
Daniel Farke’s No.10 wish amid Leeds United Bilal El Khannouss links
"Overall, the traditional genius number 10 is always a bit more important when you're fighting for promotion or for the title than perhaps to fight relegation," he said. "But in order to balance the squad and have proper options it's always beneficial to have such a type of player. To find a player in this position can fulfil our expectations. We are still awake.
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"And it's also not necessary just to bring a traditional number 10 in if he doesn't have the quality, so he's not on the pitch anyhow it makes no sense. But this time of player, same as the striker position and winger position, in the offence we need good additions in all positions in order to be competitive in the best league in the world."
While many might see El Khannouss starting for Leicester as a suggestion he might stay, Leeds know all-too-well how quickly things can change when the Premier League comes calling. Only last year, Georginio Rutter grabbed an assist in a 3-3 opening-weekend draw against Portsmouth and came off the bench against Middlesbrough in the Carabao Cup before Brighton triggered his £40m release clause.
Whether Leeds decide to take similar decisive action remains to be seen but with Farke making no secret of his desire for a No.10, recruitment chiefs will no doubt be weighing up options and El Khannouss showed his quality in spades. The Whites have one week until Everton arrive at Elland Road and three until the transfer window closes.
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