Leeds United announced the signing of Real Madrid goalkeeper Kiko Casilla on Thursday, and his arrival has been met with much intrigue, with the shot-stopper stepping down to the Championship. 

Casilla will be joining a Leeds side that are on course for a long-awaited return to the Premier League under Marcelo Bielsa.

He'll be the perfect addition to challenge Bailey Peacock-Farrell for a starting spot in the Leeds squad, although he is unlikely to feature in Leeds' game against Stoke this weekend.

In an interview with the Yorkshire Evening Post, Bielsa was full of praise for Casilla, who he labelled as 'the complete player', and outlined his attributes: "I think he is the complete player.

"He’s a good player when he has to block shots from the opponent, he’s a player with personality, he’s good with his feet and with balls in the air.

"We can’t say that one of these aspects is his strong point but I don’t see any weak points."

The Leeds boss was also pleased to see a player of Casilla's quality arrive at the club and stated that the club should be pleased to be attracting players of his calibre to Elland Road.

“We needed an alternative for the goalkeeper position,” Bielsa said. “I don’t have to make any comment on Casilla because his career speaks for itself.

"The fact that the goalkeeper comes from Real Madrid, the owner of this club should be proud being able to attract that kind of player."

So, with Casilla unlikely to make an appearance this weekend against Stoke, he could be in line to make his first start against Rotherham the following weekend.

The Verdict

What a signing this is for Leeds.

They definitely needed a goalkeeper with quality, but my goodness, Leeds fans couldn't have imagined they would sign a goalkeeper from Real Madrid.

If he can adjust to the demands of English football quickly, then I have no doubt in saying that he'll be Leeds' first choice goalkeeper for the remainder of the season.

Thoughts? Let us know!