Ecuador international Felipe Caicedo once again ‘linked’ with a move to Leeds United from Lazio

Another summer with Marcelo Bielsa at Leeds United, another summer with various links to South American players that will probably not come true.

A report out of Ecuador’s Imperio Futbol EC says that Bielsa is interested in signing the 30 year-old striker. And that’s literally all it says. The article’s entire quote about Leeds is:

El Leeds United, equipo de la segunda división de Inglaterra, en la que el argentino Marcelo El Loco Bielsa es DT, está muy interesado en contratar a Felipao.

That, more or less, translates to “Leeds United, a team in the second division of England that has Argentine Marcelo Bielsa as DT (manager), is very interested in signing Felipao.”

And that’s it.

The article also claims that Real Betis are interested in signing Caicedo, but again, no context to the rumours or anything other than a sentence claiming that the club is interested.

Caicedo was linked with a move to Leeds last summer, and it didn’t come true. Leeds was also “linked” in the Ecuadorian press with a move for U20 World Cup “star” Alexander Alvarado.

Caicedo had an decent season at Lazio last year, scoring nine goals and getting six assists in 38 appearances in all competitions. He’s got loads of experience in the national team, with 22 goals in 68 games and he might be affordable at 30 years old, but it seems out of character for Leeds to want to sign an aging striker from Italy, well, at least this edition of Leeds under Victor Orta.

There didn’t seem to be any proof in the pudding last summer, and there likely isn’t any thing to this rumour this time around. And while it might be a little cynical to say that the name “Marcelo Bielsa” drives pageviews and clicks in South America, it does seem rather odd to have another player from Ecuador linked to Leeds within a few weeks when Leeds haven’t gone after anyone from South America at all recently.

So, could this happen? Maybe. Will it happen? Almost certainly not.