Leeds United are plotting a January bid for Club Brugge winger Noa Lang but are set to face competition from Arsenal for his signature.
What’s the story?
Reports in recent months had suggested that the 22-year-old was a major target for Marcelo Bielsa’s side, with The Athletic’s Phil Hay revealing that the Whites really like him as a player.
Once the Premier League season had started, it was claimed by Football Insider that Leeds remain interested in Lang and have had scouts keeping tabs on his performances over the course of this campaign ahead of a potential move.
Dutch publication Voetbal24 have now suggested (via Sport Witness) that the likes of Leeds, Arsenal and AC Milan want to sign Lang, with a very good chance an offer will come in during the January transfer window.
Dribbles more than Raphinha
After a stellar 2020/21 season with Brugge – the 22-year-old netted an impressive 17 times across all competitions – it’s no surprise that Leeds are keen on finally getting their man in January.
Dubbed a “phenomenon” by Belgian sports journalist Peter Vandenbempt, Lang made history when he became the first player in 60 years to mark his debut with a hat-trick for Ajax, prompting Erik ten Hag to wax lyrical about him.
The Amsterdam club’s manager said: “He showed (his talent) today and I am very happy with that. Noa shows (his ability) it during training and during the reserve matches. And today he has also clearly shown it at the highest level too.”
Leeds fans have already seen the impact that an exciting new winger can have on the club after Raphinha’s signing last year, but when you compare the Brazilian’s stats to Lang’s this season, it’s the latter who fares better.
The Brugge star has seven goal contributions compared to Raphinha’s two, while he has also averaged three times as many dribbles as the Leeds man – a real indication of the directness with which he plays and the end product he already seems to have.
Leeds fans will surely be excited at potentially signing him in January.
Meanwhile, Phil Hay has delivered an update on this former key figure at Elland Road…