Jesse Marsch’s arrival at Leeds United appears to have set a precedent for the summer mercato as the club target players who fit the Red Bull mould. Brenden Aaronson was the first through the door for around £25m and Rasmus Kristensen was not far behind, signing earlier this week for £10m – both of whom played under Marsch in Austria for short periods.
Takumi Minamino – who left Marsch at Salzburg in January 2020 to move to Liverpool – has been strongly linked with a move to Elland Road, as has 21-year-old Salzburg striker Junior Adamu. RB Leipzig midfielder and US international Tyler Adams has also been mentioned – he made his professional debut at New York Red Bulls through Marsch in 2016.
The links make sense: the Leeds head coach has a concrete style of play that is the same as that seen through the Red Bull system. That’s why he took over in New York, that’s why he moved to Salzburg and that’s why he succeeded Julien Nagelsmann in Leipzig – albeit with less success.
What doesn’t make sense is why there were no concrete links with any other Salzburg player. Mohamed Camara is the linchpin of the Austrian team’s midfield – a 22-year-old defensive midfielder and an ideal successor to Kalvin Phillips.
Manchester City are stepping up their interest in the Leeds midfielder as they look to strengthen their backbone. And while Elland Road officials hope to tie the 26-year-old to a new contract, a £60million bid could be on the way, with the lure of Champions League football too attractive for Phillips to refuse. .
If Leeds had no choice but to sell, a return to the negotiating table with Salzburg would be a wise move, as the Mali international continues to attract interest from across Europe. At just 5ft 7in, Camara is by no means a physically dominant player, but the midfielder’s anticipation and speed in the tackle make him an exceptional game destroye
He already has the intelligence and reading of the game of an experienced midfielder, and can use his pace over short distances to anticipate opposition passes and intercept. In addition, speed over longer distances allows Camara to cover the spaces left by attacking full-backs – another key aspect of a Marsch system.
source www.fr.postsus.com
