Leeds United are “concerned” that it may be a struggle to convince Borussia Dortmund and Portugal international Raphaël Guerreiro to join Jesse Marsch’s squad at Elland Road, according to journalist Dean Jones.
Guerreiro had been on international duty in Qatar with Fernando Santos’ A Seleção squad this month, before the side were knocked out by Morocco in the World Cup quarter-finals.
Leeds transfer news – Raphaël Guerreiro
According to TEAMtalk in November, Leeds are preparing to offer Guerreiro a pre-contract deal with the left-back reaching the end of his contract at Dortmund come the end of the season.
With Junior Firpo struggling for form and Stuart Dallas still recovering from a long-term injury suffered back in April, the Whites will be looking to the 28-year-old as an option to solve their problems in that area of the pitch.
However, Jones has previously told GiveMeSport that he feels the Premier League side will be unable to convince the Euro 2016 winner on a move to Elland Road this summer with the club looking at another relegation battle in the second half of the campaign.
The journalist has reiterated this point, though has hinted that he may be the club’s top target by suggesting that they should asses Guerreiro’s situation before moving on to other options.
What has Jones said about Leeds and Guerreiro?
Jones told GiveMeSport: “At the moment, because of their league position, they're concerned it might be a bit of an issue persuading him to agree to anything.
“So, Guerreiro is definitely one that Leeds should look at unfolding before they then look at other options.”
How did Guerreiro perform at the World Cup?
Guerreiro’s showings at the World Cup are unlikely to have deterred any of his potential suitors to make a move for him in either January or next summer, with the left-back playing a big part in Portugal’s progression to the quarter-finals of the tournament.
The Dortmund star had scored one goal and provided two assists in three appearances in Qatar according to Transfermarkt, suggesting that he is a threat going forward as well as being a capable defender.
An average WhoScored rating of 6.96 for his showings on the world’s biggest stage ranked the £81k-per-week full-back as his country’s joint fifth-best performer at the World Cup, but he will have been disappointed to be part of the side that lost 1-0 to Morocco in the last eight of the tournament.
Therefore, Guerreiro is likely to attract the interest of some top Premier League and European clubs if he is unwilling to extend his stay at the Bundesliga side, suggesting that Leeds may have to move quickly to get this unlikely transfer over the line.