Leeds United are expected to revisit their interest in Brenden Aaronson when the summer transfer window opens at the end of the season.
They were unable to tempt Red Bull Salzburg into selling the young midfielder last month and saw two bids rejected with the highest of those totalling around £20m.
The Austrian Bundesliga leaders were keen to keep him as they prepare for their Champions League knockout tie against Bayern Munich in a few weeks’ time.
It is likely to be easier to prise Aaronson away from the club in the summer but the Whites will almost definitely be joined by a number of other sides in a race for his signature.
AC Milan and RB Leipzig have already been linked with the 21-year-old in the last few days and that list of potential suitors will only grow if he continues to show that he is worth the investment.
Importantly, those two sides will both be able to offer Aaronson European football. Whether that is in the Champions League or the Europa League, it is an incentive Leeds cannot match.
Although he is very much the main target for Victor Orta and the recruitment team at Elland Road, a contingency plan might have to be implemented if he opts against a West Yorkshire move.
By taking into account potential cost, age and style of play, we have picked out five players who Leeds could target should their pursuit of Aaronson fail.
Yari Verschaeren
At 20 years old, Yari Verschaeren is even younger than the Salzburg midfielder and possibly has even more potential.
He is another product of Anderlecht’s famous academy and with eight Belgium caps under his belt already, he is likely to be on the international stage for a long time.
Verschaeren is primarily an attacking midfielder but he has experience at playing in a deeper-lying role as well as on both wings thanks to his ability with his left and right foot.
He has also shown how dangerous he can be in and around the opposition penalty area with 10 goals and eight assists in his last 40 Belgium Pro League matches.
A number of Europe’s top teams are already said to be looking at Verschaeren but a regular place in the starting XI that Leeds would be able to offer would surely be tempting for an ambitious young player.
Isco
From a young player bursting with ambition to a seasoned professional equally eager to perform at the top level. Isco has struggled for game time, and for form, in the last few seasons for Real Madrid after his explosive start to life with the Spanish giants.
At 29, his age might be a sticking point for Leeds but the fact he might be available on a free transfer makes it an interesting proposition with his contract due to expire in June.
Granted, a move for Isco would be a risk but it could provide great reward from a player desperate to reignite a career that has stagnated.
Considering the amount he has achieved in terms of trophies in the Spanish capital, he would bring an infectious winning mentality and a level of ability that has seldom been seen at Leeds.
His current wages would make a deal untenable but, given his decline in recent years, he will have to be willing to take a significant drop in his pay packet if he still wants to play competitive football in Europe.
Oihan Sancet
Staying in Spain but returning to young Aaronson alternatives, Oihan Sancet has been mightily impressive for Athletic Bilbao since being introduced to their first team last season.
His current employers are also notoriously one of Europe’s most intense pressing teams which only increases the compatibility between the 21-year-old and Leeds United.
He is a player that operates in the ‘number 10’ role but can also provide cover for the deeper set midfielders in the team.
In 824 minutes of La Liga action this season, Sancet has scored four goals and provided three assists with a hat trick against Osasuna helping him to really announce himself to European football.
As they so often are with promising Spanish players, Barcelona and Real Madrid have already been linked with a move for the youngster who will only attract more admirers between now and the end of the season.
Daichi Kamada
Like Bilbao, Eintracht Frankfurt are another of Europe’s highest pressing teams and one of their players would fit exactly the profile of player Leeds are looking for.
Daichi Kamada has been a revelation for the Bundesliga side in the last couple of seasons and his form last term deservedly saw him linked with a big-money move.
He has struggled to recreate that quite as much this season but has still shown what he is so good at in a team that hasn’t performed as well as it should have done.
In 32 league matches during the 2020/21 campaign, he registered a staggering 15 assists whilst also adding five goals, a tally that would be welcomed in Leeds’ midfield.
Strikers like Patrick Bamford and Joe Gelhardt who exhibit excellent movement in the penalty area would benefit heavily from Kamada’s ability to create chances.
The Japan international is also widely known for the quality he provides from set pieces, something that is always useful regardless of what team or league you are playing in.
At 25 years old, he is slightly older than Aaronson and some of the other alternatives but he is closer to his prime and has vast experience in the league that is probably most similar to the Premier League.
Facundo Farias
The name Facundo Farias might be familiar to people who play games like Football Manager, such is the potential the 19-year-old has.
The quality he has shown at such a young age in his native Argentina has fans in South America very excited about how just how good he could become.
Marcelo Bielsa will likely be well aware of what Farias has done so far in his short career as he is a keen connoisseur of football in his home country.
A move for the youngster would be riskier than moves for the other players on this list but there is a reason that a number of European teams are monitoring him.
He is primarily an attacking midfielder but he too can play on either wing with versatility a much-desired attribute when signing for a team coached by Bielsa.
Farias is likely to be available for a similar price as Aaronson and could be an even cheaper option given the financial situation of clubs in Argentina.
