Of all the summer signings that have arrived through the door this summer it is Macedonian winger Ezgjan Alioski who has caught the eye. A goal yesterday capped off a very encouraging display in which he showcased his ability against very good opposition.
The deal for Alioski happened very fast when started moving. It had been in the pipeline for a few weeks and after Leeds stepped up their bid the deal was confirmed. He signed a four-year-deal and Leeds parted with over £3 million to sign the player from Swiss Super League club Lugano. It was said that both Atalanta and FC Basel were in the hunt but Victor Orta was the man with the finger on the pulse, and in came Alioski to the delight of Leeds fans. He was an unknown, but glimpses of him online and articles written about him plus views of fans and journalists was enough to get us excited and his first two games in a Leeds shirt haven’t disappointed.
Against Gladbach he stood out with his powerful and quick runs down the left but yesterday he stepped his game up again and was a key member of the second half side that controlled a game that was almost beyond them at halftime. The introductions of Eunan O’Kane, Kalvin Phillips, Kemar Roofe and Ezgjan Alioski changed the momentum of the game and two goals came before a soft header from a corner came late on. Alioski latched onto a lofted pass to half-volley across goal into the far corner with his right foot, a lovely finish and one that summed up his contribution to the game. His running with the ball, work rate and skill with the ball at his feet were evident and Leeds fans are loving it.
The deal to bring Alioski here made another go under the radar, the one of Samu Saiz. The pair haven’t played together yet but the prospect is exciting and could be the difference this season, the three behind Wood hitting a brick wall when it mattered at the back end of last season. We need more from the attacking players in the team and the new arrivals could be key to helping discover this. It seems like Alioski will be the main threat and hopefully he can push the others around him to improve. Leeds fans have certainly enjoyed the early signs Alioski has been showing and are looking forward to seeing how he performs when the Championship starts in less than two weeks time.
