Leeds United looking to complete a £5m move for Norwegian midfielder: Smart option for Bielsa

Marcelo Bielsa continues to look for players who will help his side in the Premier League next season and one exciting name now on Leeds United’s radar is FC Molde star Fredrik Aursnes.

According to the Sun, Fredrik Aursnes, who has just two years left on his deal with his current club, is available for just around £5m.

Aursnes is also wanted by other clubs in Europe but should Leeds United make this move?

Who Is Fredrik Aursnes?

Standing as the youngest player to the win the domestic cup in Norway, the 24-year-old moved to Molde under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer back in 2016 as a youngster and took no time to cement a place in the first team.

Till date, he has 18 goals and 22 assists in 148 appearances for the club in all competitions and is a regular in the midfield in the many systems used at the club.

A defensive midfielder by trait, the Norwegian star is a versatile player, who can play on the flanks or in an advanced role in the middle of the park.

He registered two goals and an assist in 15 league games recently, playing as a DM or even in a slightly more central role.

A quick and athletic player, who loves to run himself to the ground every game, Fredrik Aursnes is an energetic presence in the midfield, who will help turn Bielsa’s side into a more disciplined one.

He needs to work on his progressive play but at the back, his positioning and awareness of the game make him a valuable player for his side.

At 24, Aursnes is yet to break into the Norway national side but has loads of experience and will be a decent coup for Leeds.

Fredrik Aursnes: Where Does He Fit In?

Bielsa used a 4-1-4-1 system for most of the season in the Championship. While Kalvin Phillips was decent in a defensive midfield role, both Pablo Hernandez and Mateusz Klich were also responsible for the stability in midfield Leeds United showed last season.

Stuart Dallas and Tyler Roberts played in the advanced roles when needed while Ben White and Pascal Struijk were used in the deeper roles as backups.

But none of the backup players is natural to these roles and Aursnes could be a better fit, maybe even in the starting XI.

The Molde star has no exposure at the highest level and could take time to make an impact on the first team at Elland Road.

However, he does have the potential to develop into a solid enforcer for Leeds in the Premier League and under the coaching of Bielsa, he could well become one of their more important players going forward in this new era.