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Athletic Bilbao have confirmed that Ander Iturraspe will not be at the club next season after his contract expires which may see Leeds United move for the player.

The Spaniard has reportedly been a target for the Whites, but the Yorkshire club must tread carefully if they are to move for the 30-year-old.

Reunited with Bielsa

The Basque defensive midfielder has made over 300 appearances for Bilbao during a career that has spanned 11 years at the San Mames Stadium.

Iturraspe was a vital part of the team which reached the Europa League final under the management of Marcelo Bielsa so it is no surprise that the Argentine would want to work with him once again.

The current Leeds boss had great success at Bilbao, and perhaps he is looking to emulate that squad by bringing in one of his midfield generals from his time in Spain.

Tread carefully

There are signs to say that Iturraspe isn’t the player he was back in 2012 when Bilbao famously knocked Manchester United out in Europe.

The defensive midfielder has made only three appearances in La Liga this season, potentially indicating that he is regressing as a player. Bielsa’s style at Leeds commands a lot of running from his midfielder so signing a 30-year-old with a lot of miles on the clock may not work out.

There are also trends in recent years supporting that defensive midfielders such as Iturraspe brought in from La Liga don’t thrive in the English leagues. Jozabed at Fulham and Vicente Iborra at Leicester both didn’t work out for several reasons and returned to their native country very quickly after moving to England.

Leeds mustn’t rush into this transfer if they are to pursue their reported interest, as Iturraspe would undoubtedly become one of the highest earners at the club if he was brought in. The deal could very easily backfire, but if they get the best out of the midfielder, it could be a very shrewd free transfer.