Rumours abound that recent loan signing from Cagliari to Pescara, 19 year old Dario del Fabro, has signed for Leeds United with only the medical to pass. In what could be a hectic pre-transfer deadline weekend, this signing (on top of the reported finalisation of the Adryan Tavares saga) represents a busy Friday for the ‘Whites’. The thing is, when most Leeds fans see the word ‘del’ they think of two things: Trotter or Piero. Which one are Leeds getting?

14/15 Season

  • 120 minutes of Copa Italia action with Pescara

13/14 Season

  • 270 minutes of Serie A action with Cagliari
  • 665 minutes of Primavera B (youth/U20) action with Cagliari

12/13 Season

  • 152 minutes of Serie A action with Cagliari
  • 1440 minutes (1 goal) of Primavera A (youth /U20) action with Cagliari
  • 180 minutes of Copa Italia action wih Cagliari

11/12 Season

  • 810 minutes of Primavera A action with Cagliari

In total del Fabro has made 36 appearances for Cagliari’s U20 team, 8 appearances for Cagliari’s first team and 1 appearance for Pescara whilst on loan this season. He has also represented Italy at all levels from U16 to U19 (U17, 390 minutes; U18 269 minutes and U19 177 minutes).

There’s no doubt that he is obviously well thought of in Italy; you don’t get to represent your country if you are a mug with no ability but is he what Leeds United need. By that I mean a relatively untried centreback with very little experience. There’s a whole world of difference between the ‘tika taka toe poke’ of Italian football and the clattering intensity of a full-bloodied Championship game with 25,000 baying fans in a hellish bear pit of an arena.