MusaLeeds United striker Mateo Joseph is unlikely to see his future decided until he’s done with Spain’s U21 European Championship campaign, but that isn’t stopping Real Betis looking to pursue a deal.
As Leeds press on with an agreement to sign Jaka Bijol, adding to their announcement of Lukas Nmecha on a free transfer, there is some uncertainty on players that could leave the club.
Adding Nmecha to the striker department was a necessary step for squad depth, but it could fuel speculation of Mateo Joseph leaving the club too.
Real Betis looking for “considerable progress” in convincing Mateo Joseph to leave Leeds United
Real Betis’ interest in the Spaniard is long-standing, having failed with a £10million approach back in the latter stages of the January window.
However, despite their intentions to land the striker this summer being made abundantly clear, his presence up front in Spain’s U21 European Championship campaign means they may have to wait until July – Joseph is currently on one goal from two appearances with Spain winning both games, but he missed a penalty in their second outing, a 2-1 win against Romania.
Estadio Deportivo now report that the Verdiblancos intend to convince Joseph of a move to the Estadio Benito Villamarin before finding a fee agreement with Leeds:
“Thus, in the initial contacts, as recently reported by ESTADIO, the positions were far from ideal, but at La Palmera, it is hoped that everything could change once the player is fully convinced, a mission in which Betis have made considerable progress.”
Joseph commands an asking price likely to be above the previous £10million rejected bid, as Leeds hope his U21 Euros campaign yields an increase in his transfer value, as seen commonly in this tournament’s previous iterations.
Betis, like Leeds, are keeping tabs on how Joseph progresses through this tournament, knowing that standout performances could make their chances of a value-for-money signing much slimmer.
Leeds United need to act wisely on Mateo Joseph – short and long-term issues at hand
I think everyone is in agreement that Leeds would be selling a very bright talent for the future if they let Joseph go to Betis this summer.
However, it’s more complex than it simply being about letting a good prospect go for the right price, and whether that itself is a smart choice, because his sale could facilitate much more important short-term recruitment.
The fact of the matter is: if Leeds can bring in around £15million (for example) for Joseph, who isn’t someone we can massively rely on next season, and then reinvest in someone who is ready to contribute consistently in the Premier League, it’s a solid move.
PSR is painful to deal with, and ultimately, it’s the young talent that you have to sacrifice to make ends meet, but if that helps us stay up, then it’s worth it.
Musa
