Leeds United have been dealt a blow in their reported pursuit of Marseille defender Leonardo Balerdi. Leeds United’s already faint hope of a move for Leonardo Balerdi looks to have been quashed with Marseille president Pablo Longoria insisting top players will be kept at the Stade Velodrome.
Journalist Alan Nixon first reported on interest in Balerdi earlier this month, claiming via his Patreon page the 26-year-old had been identified as a target for Daniel Farke’s Premier League rebuild. Scouts were said to have been in attendance at recent Marseille games to watch the centre-back, who was initially thought to be available for around £20million.
The Mirror backed those reports of interest a couple of weeks ago and quoted Balerdi suggesting he’ll consider his future once the 2024/25 campaign is over, with focus at the time on securing Champions League football at Marseille. That goal was achieved with a 3-1 win over Le Havre but the prospect of top-level European football appears to have strengthened the Ligue 1 club’s resolve to keep their best talent. French outlet La Provence reports on a busy summer for Marseille, who will need to strengthen ahead of their Champions League return with particular focus on defensive reinforcements. In addition, the Marseille-based newspaper name Balerdi as one of five key players who won’t be sold. Speaking to La Provence in the report, Marseille chief Longoria said: “We want to build a good team, keep the best players, and start again with maximum stability, to have a great season.” Longoria’s hands-off warning will be welcomed by Marseille head coach Roberto De Zerbi, who admitted earlier this season he hopes Balerdi would continue to go under the radar of top European teams. The former Brighton boss had recently been quizzed on his defender’s future amid links to Leeds but decided to delegate the responsibility of an answer to those above. “There’s the president and the sporting director,” De Zerbi said. “They’re the ones best placed to answer that. The aim is to get stronger. We weren’t playing in Europe this season, so we had to achieve our objective, it was vital. After the season, we’ll see how we can strengthen the team. Leo is a pillar of the squad.” It remains to be seen just how interested Leeds were in Balerdi, but central-defensive reinforcements are expected to be a priority this summer. Pascal Struijk and Joe Rodon have both been excellent in the Championship under Farke but cover and competition is lacking.
The lack of alternative options is particularly clear on the right, with ever-present Rodon the only natural senior option throughout Leeds’ Championship title-winning season. Should the Welshman have picked up an injury, then Farke would have had to call on either 34-year-old central midfielder Josuha Guilavogui or academy prospect James Debayo.
There is slightly more cover on the left with Max Wober a natural option when fit – albeit the Austrian’s 2024/25 campaign was littered with injury problems – while Ethan Ampadu can drop into the back-four if needed. That, of course, removes his much-needed presence from midfield.
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