Former Bielsa centre-back Nicolas N’Koulou linked with reunion

Torino centre-back Nicolas N’Koulou could be set for a reunion with former manager Marcelo Bielsa at Leeds, according to Calciomercato (via TeamTalk).

The 30-year-old played under Bielsa during the 2014/15 season at Marseille, where he was restricted to 26 appearances across all competitions by injuries.

N’Koulou joined current club Torino from Lyon in 2017, and has made 128 appearances for the Serie A outfit. He retired from international duty with Cameroon the same year, having earned 75 caps since making his debut in 2008.

His contract runs out at the end of the campaign, and Calciomercato claims he will not be renewing the deal which currently earns him €53,500 (£46,364) a week, having fallen out of favour this season.

However, a move to Elland Road seems unlikely regardless of his existing relationship with the Leeds manager; N’Koulou favours his right foot, and Bielsa already has Robin Koch and Diego Llorente as options on the right side of central defence.

This is not the first time the 6ft tall defender has been linked with a switch to the Premier League; Norwich reportedly had a €20 million bid rejected by Marseille in August 2015, a time when he was also being linked with numerous Premier League and Serie A clubs including Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur.

Would you like to see N’Koulou in a Leeds shirt next season? Vote in the poll above (viewable in browser) and let us know on Twitter.