The 21-year-old is receiving a lot of attention ahead of the summer transfer season.
Leeds United and Leicester City are both reportedly interested in signing PEC Zwolle centre-back Anselmo Garcia MacNulty in the summer transfer window.
According to Spanish source AS, the 21-year-old is receiving attention from all over Europe.
MacNulty was born in Spain and progressed through Real Betis’ junior systems, but he never made a senior appearance.
He relocated to Germany to join Wolfsburg in 2019, but was unable to earn a senior game for the Bundesliga club’s first squad.
However, the centre-back spent last season on loan in the Dutch second division, where he became a regular for NAC Breda.
Following that stay, MacNulty returned to the Netherlands permanently last summer, joining PEC Zwolle on a free transfer.
Since then, the defender has made 29 appearances in all competitions for the club, helping them finish 11th in the current Dutch top-flight standings.
Despite being born in Spain, the 21-year-old is eligible to represent the Republic of Ireland through his mother, having done so at various junior levels.
Now it appears that MacNulty’s progress has attracted a lot of attention from other sources ahead of the summer.
Leeds and Leicester among clubs eyeing PEC Zwolle defender
According to the most recent report, a number of clubs have expressed interest in MacNulty ahead of the summer transfer season.
Leicester City and Leeds United are believed to be among those interested in signing the 21-year-old when the market opens.
In addition to those two Championship sides, Club Brugges, who are presently top of the Belgian top division, is thought to be one of several other European clubs interested in the defender.
MacNulty’s current contract has two years remaining, which secures his future at Zwolle until the end of the 2025/26 season.
As a result, the Dutch club will have considerable leeway in responding to any offers made for the centre-back during this summer’s transfer season.
Leicester have already secured promotion back to the Premier League as Championship champions.
Leeds are hoping to follow them and are currently second in the table, level on points with third-place Ipswich Town, who have a game in hand.
Leeds and Leicester may need MacNulty signing
There is a case to be made that each of these clubs may benefit from signing someone like MacNulty this summer.
Leeds have Liam Cooper out of contract, while Charlie Cresswell may face further uncertainty about his future after struggling to establish himself at Elland Road this season.
Meanwhile, Leicester have Harry Souttar, who is well down the pecking order and appears to be out of contention for a place in the team, while Callum Doyle is only on loan from Manchester City.
As a result, both clubs may require center defensive reinforcements for the 2024/25 season, which MacNulty’s arrival might supply.
A move to either side may potentially be a step up for MacNulty, especially if they are both in the top division.
He might still provide valuable depth, and at 21 years old, he has the potential to develop into a significant asset for one of these clubs if signed.
With that in mind, this could be an option worth considering for Leeds and Leicester whenever the market opens.
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