Leeds signing Real Madrid’s Kiko Casilla would be nothing but a big statement
Leeds United start the week with a bit of parity between them and the chasing crowd after their impressive 2-0 victory over Frank Lampard’s Derby County side. They were dominant throughout the match and striker Kemar Roofe played an important role in sealing the victory with some excellent hold-up play.
While the midfield was good too, their defending is what stood out from an analytical point of view. Liam Cooper and Pontus Jansson were excellent throughout and were really able to nullify a very talented Derby County attack.
With some good passing and movement all around, Marcelo Bielsa’s men were able to keep over 60% possession as well. While they have been sublime all season, this is a special high point in the campaign because they are now 4 points clear of the chasers.
Leeds have been exceptionally good in each and every position but while the goalkeeping has been decent with the 22-year-old Bailey Peacock-Farrell guarding it, it has been nothing special and in a league as excruciating as the Championship, which could cause Bielsa a problem in the latter stages.
Spanish media outlet Marca are reporting that Leeds United are very interested in Real Madrid goalkeeper Kiko Casilla. Leeds can look to the 32-year-old’s experience to see out the rest of the season placed first. Once they reach the Premier League, Casilla would be a good fit for Bielsa’s side.
He came through the Real Madrid academy but never made it to the first-team before being sold to Espanyol in 2007. After various loan spells which made up more than 7 years at Espanyol, he was eventually bought back by Madrid in 2015 to provide cover for Keylor Navas.
He is a top goalkeeper who has yet to feature for Madrid this season given that Thibaut Courtois and Keylor Navas are the top choices. He has over 200 professional appearances in league football and will bring a good degree of experience and professionalism into the Leeds line-up.
He has played 43 games for Madrid since joining from Espanyol and already has 3 Champions League winner’s medals to his name.
Also, his quality is certain to help young players like Peacock-Farrell and Will Huffer develop into top keepers. While this will not be an easy deal to complete given the team he plays for, if they are able to pull it off, it would be a massive, massive move.