da betobet： Leeds United are considering a swoop for Bologna defender Filip Helander, according to Goal.com.
What’s the story?
da 888casino： New head coach Thomas Christiansen is believed to be aiming to improve his options in defence for the upcoming Championship season.
Kyle Bartley performed well at the back in the 2016-17 campaign during his loan move from Swansea City.
It seems unlikely, though, that he will join the Whites again as a report in the Northern Echo claimed earlier this month that ex-Leeds boss Garry Monk wants him at Middlesbrough.
Attention has now turned to Helander, with Goal.com reporting that Leeds have tabled an opening offer of around €4m (£3.5m), but Bologna want around €6m (£5.3m).
Who is Helander?
The 24-year-old Sweden international began his career at Malmo and went to join Verona before having a loan spell at Bologna.
The Italian outfit ended up signing the defender on a permanent deal in January, but it seems as though they are already willing to let him go.
Helander is familiar with Leeds defender Pontus Jansson having played alongside him at Malmo, as well as on the international stage.
Is he right for Leeds?
There is a question mark over Helander’s fitness after he was plagued by injury problems last season.
Muscular problems and a knee injury restricted the defender to just 13 appearances in all competitions, and only nine of those were Serie A starts.
There is nothing to say that Helander will struggle with his fitness at Elland Road, but there is a risk in bringing him to the club.
Having a solid defender at the back is crucial, particularly in the Championship given the amount of games played.
Leeds need a figure who will be a consistent member of the team, and at the moment, Helander cannot guarantee that.
A positive, though, is that he would be able to slot into the defence quickly given his previous experience with Jansson.