5 reasons why Leeds United will win promotion this year

#4 Samuel 'Samu' Saiz

Samu Saiz celebrates scoring in the Carabao Cup

Leeds United did plenty of good work over the summer in terms of bringing players in, but perhaps no deal was better than that of Samu Saiz.

Signed for £3m from SD Huesca in Spain, the former Atletico Madrid man was sensational in Spain’s second tier last season and has already started in an emphatic manner in England’s second tier. Saiz is a player already capable of playing at a much higher level and his influence will be the most vital factor in Leeds achieving promotion.

The Spaniard is an incredibly gifted attacking midfielder who creates and scores goals, boasting skill and plenty of agility. His work just behind the attack can bring others into play while Saiz is also capable of doing it all himself. With plenty of belief in his own ability, Saiz can take teams apart on his own or control games and push his team on.

“Playing in a No.10 role behind the front man, he offers great movement, links up well with his team-mates and is so dangerous on counter-attacks.” said former player Danny Higginbotham recently. “Some foreign players take time to adjust to a new country and new culture. But the 26-year-old has made an instant impact since arriving at Leeds”.

It has been some time since Leeds had a player with the quality of Saiz and it’s unsurprising he’s already becoming a sort of cult figure at the club in the space of just a few months.