Brenden Aaronson is set to be Leeds United's first signing of the summer after the Whites secured a third season in the Premier League after a dramatic final day at Brentford. Victor Orta made multiple bids for the American in January but RB Salzburg were determined not to let him leave ahead of the Champions League knockout-tie against Bayern Munich, where he picked up an assist in the first-leg.
However, the Athletic have reported a £22million offer has now been accepted by Salzburg. That means Jesse Marsch has the first piece of the puzzle when it comes to moving the side more towards the style of football that he wants the side to play.
During his tenure at the club, Marsch has spoken on several occasions about the fact that his team hadn't been able to move closer towards his tactical style. Leeds manager suggested that was due to the high-stress situation of a relegation battle and with many of the players so used to playing in Marcelo Bielsa's unique style, having done so for several seasons.
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With Aaronson joining, the muscle memory of Bielsa's style won't be an issue. In fact, the Salzburg forward will have the muscle memory of Marsch's idealized style, having played under him for six months and in a team that play a very similar style for a season and a half.
It is notable that during the games that Marsch has managed Leeds, they have steadily moved away from his initial ideas of attacking narrowly, due to Leeds' best attackers being wide players who have natural propensities to attack wide areas. As such, they struggled to play in congested areas due to not possessing the right skill-sets and traits. Meanwhile, Aaronson has been drilled to play in the 4-2-2-2 which Marsch struggled to implement at Elland Road, as well as playing as a number ten.
The American has impressed during his time in Salzburg due to his direct ball carrying ability. This is a real weapon in Marsch's transition heavy style he wants the team to win the ball back high up the pitch and carry it towards the edge of the box in order to take a shot as close to the penalty spot as possible. As well as this, he is a relentless presser, as all Red Bull players are. With Aaronson in the team, Marsch's pressing system should be more effective.
It's important to state that one player alone will not be enough to move Leeds towards Marsch's preferred style. As the current attack is primarily made up of wingers, they will need another creative player comfortable playing in central areas, as well as another striker who can perform a similar role to Bamford, since the system requires a genuine centre forward to work. That will take strong investment in the transfer market.
Should Victor Orta deliver all those players, it will still require Marsch to prove that he is capable of transitioning the team towards his playing philosophy effectively. Marcelo Bielsa managed to change the team's playing style to great effect within one summer. It is now time to see whether Marsch can do the same. Aaronson's signing would be the first step but there will still be a way to go.
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