Leeds United enjoyed a truly excellent summer transfer window.

The Whites made a number of acquisitions, strengthening Marcelo Bielsa’s squad and attempting to ensure that they have all the tools required to not only survive but compete in the Premier League.

There were ultimately seven first-team signings made: Rodrigo, Diego Llorente, Raphina, Helder Costa, Robin Koch, Illan Meslier, and Jack Harrison. Joe Gelhardt has also arrived from Wigan Athletic but he is 18 and playing for the U23 team.

And the signings have made an impact.

Leeds are currently 14th in the Premier League, already seven points clear of 18th-placed Fulham, and they have enjoyed some excellent results, taking a point off Manchester City and Arsenal and also beating Aston Villa and Sheffield United.

It seems that Marcelo Bielsa’s side could have made a more significant splash in the transfer window, though.

p1eo2ujmdmud91u5h1aav1i8rng7f.jpg

Sport Witness carries a report from French newspaper L’Equipe claiming that the Whites missed out on the signing of Jonathan David in the summer.

He moved to French club Lille from KAA Gent for a fee of €30m (£26.7m) after emerging as a genuine star in Belgium.

A centre-forward, he scored 37 goals and registered 15 assists in 83 games for Gent, while he is also a key member of the Canadian national team’s squad. In 12 caps, he has scored 11 times.

p1eo2un0idof21sl26iab011l8jh.jpg

Leeds are touted as having held an interest in David in the transfer window, along with fellow Premier League clubs Crystal Palace and Brighton & Hove Albion, but Lille beat them to the punch.

The 20-year-old has endured a difficult start to life in France, however, scoring just once in 13 games in all competitions, in the most recent win over Lorient, and has completed the 90 minutes twice in total.

David is young, of course, but his start has not exactly set the world alight.

GIVEMESPORT’S Harry Sherlock says…

Leeds have dodged a bullet here.

While David has plenty of talent and potential, Ligue 1 is a markedly weaker league than the English top-flight.

They signed Rodrigo instead, of course, and the Spaniard is a far more experienced option, not to mention more versatile.

p1eo2uoavpetc1hisf10186d9spl.jpg

Funnily enough, the 29-year-old has also only scored one league goal this season but he feels a more natural fit in Bielsa’s system, given his ability to play up front and in attacking midfield.

He has the knowhow and experience to ensure that a barren run does not get him down too, something which may not be able to be said of David.

Leeds made the right choice, and missing out on the Canadian is nothing to cry over.