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Leeds United are pushing to sign Wolves centre-back Santiago Bueno, a defender already embedded in Marcelo Bielsa’s Uruguay setup and now attracting interest across the Premier League.
According to Sport Witness’ exclusive report, Leeds are among four Premier League clubs in contact for Bueno, with Crystal Palace also pursuing the Wolves defender.
The level of interest underlines both his availability this summer and the competition Leeds face if they want to secure a deal. With Wolves relegated, Leeds are looking to take advantage and bring him in.
Bueno already part of Marcelo Bielsa’s Uruguay cycle
Bueno has eight Uruguay caps, all of which have come during Marcelo Bielsa’s tenure as national team manager. He is now approaching three years at Wolves, after his £10m move from Girona in 2023.
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His involvement across recent international fixtures confirms he is already part of Bielsa’s current defensive pool rather than an emerging outsider. He has a firm chance of making the World Cup.
Leeds also targeting Ladislav Krejci as defensive plan clear
Leeds’ interest in Bueno is not isolated, with the club also moving for Bueno’s Wolves teammate Ladislav Krejci as part of a wider centre-back recruitment push.
The dual pursuit highlights a clear strategy to add physical, high-output defenders capable of handling sustained defensive phases.
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Not only that, but Leeds seem to be targeting relegated players. Wolves will have to sell some of their players to deal with the loss of finances that comes with relegation to the Championship.
Bueno’s Premier League numbers explain Leeds interest
Bueno has averaged around 3.9 clearances and 1.5 tackles per game in the Premier League this season, while completing close to 86 percent of his passes across more than 800 attempts.
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His duel success sits just above 56 percent, which compares closely with Joe Rodon’s figures, while his aerial win rate of roughly 53 percent is slightly below Pascal Struijk but aligned with the physical profile Leeds are targeting through Ladislav Krejci.
Rodon has operated at a similar level in duels but with slightly higher aerial success, while Struijk offers stronger aerial dominance but lower overall defensive action volume per game.
Krejci’s standout metric remains his duel success rate, which exceeds 60 percent, reinforcing why Leeds are targeting both players as part of the same defensive rebuild.
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