According to Scouts in Attendance, Leeds United’s talent spotters have been at the last 2 league games of Segunda division side Osasuna, and their likeliest interest is 27-year-old midfielder Fran Mérida.
The ex-Arsenal man, once considered one of the future stars of the north London outfit’s youth team has been with the former La Liga side since last summer when he arrived from Huesca.
Leeds’ sporting director Victor Orta has always been an admirer of Merida, and did attempt to sign the former Spain youth international while he was still Middlesbrough’s head of recruitment.
Merida, a La Masia product, wasn’t able to live up to his potential at the Emirates, going on to make just 16 first-team appearances.
However, he has found his feet at Osasuna, and has continued to show signs of being a late bloomer.
Leeds have eyes firmly on Premier League promotion this term, and are currently on top of the Championship log after 9 games, albeit on goal difference.
Manager Thomas Christiansen is looking to further strengthen his squad over the winter transfer window in order to help the Whites to a strong finish, and it seems Merida, who played for Atletico Madrid, Braga, Hercules, and Atletico Paranaense upon leaving England is firmly on the club’s radar.
#lufc have scouted Osasuna’s last 2 Segunda matches, #boro tried to sign Osasuna & ex #arsenal MF Fran Merida in 2015 when Orta was there pic.twitter.com/a0k9oiddJl
— Scouts in Attendance (@scoutsattending) September 23, 2017
