Leeds United have been battling Leicester City for promotion for much of the 2023-24 season and now they are rivaling The Foxes for a Spain-born Ireland defender.
Leicester secured promotion back to the Premier League as Championship title winners on Monday night with a 3-0 away win over Preston. Jamie Vardy proved again that age is just a number, scoring a brace.
Leeds meanwhile, look destined for the Championship play-offs. Ipswich have leveled The Whites’ points tally of 90 with a game in hand and they use that game up on Tuesday, when they face Coventry away.
Leicester’s summer is now going to look very different to the one it might have been had Enzo Maresca failed to guide The Foxes to promotion. A better calibre of players, more money to spend this summer.
Spanish outlet AS say Leeds are competing with Leicester and other clubs in the race to sign left-back Anselmo Garcia MacNulty. The 21-year-old is currently in The Netherlands with Eredivisie side PEC Zwolle.
His form in Crysencio Summerville and Joel Piroe’s home country has caught the eye of admirers, not just from Leeds and Leicester but also the Ireland National Team with MacNulty winning two U21 caps so far.
The report states that Leeds and Leicester are both interested in luring the “versatile” ace to English football for the first time but they face stiff competition from Belgium.
Belgian side battle Leeds and Leicester for MacNulty
Europa Conference League semi-finalists Club Brugge are also interested in singing MacNulty, who was born in Seville and has come through the ranks at La Liga side Real Betis before moving to Germany.
He joined Wolfsburg’s academy as a 16-year-old and while he never played a senior match, he impressed in their UEFA Youth League side and at U19 level. Then NAC Breda took a chance, signing him on loan.
That loan spell last season, albeit at a level below the Eredvisie, was impressive as he clocked up 38 senior games and Zwolle came calling. He has since earned another 29 senior games under his belt for Zwolle.
MacNulty shares agent with Spaniard to recently play for Leeds
That form in The Netherlands has caught the eye and Zwolle could earn themselves a tidy profit on a youngster they picked for nothing. A player that is represented by the same agency as Alfonso Pedraza.
The hierarchy has changed at Leeds since Pedraza was lured to Elland Road but those agents have worked with Leeds in the past. It may help sway a move to Yorkshire with Leeds certainly needing a new left-back.
Junior Firpo has improved this season but that might be only because Leeds are in the Championship. Leeds need a long-term answer on the left of defence and MacNulty could be that man.
