Report: Leeds want Udinese midfielder Rodrigo De Paul

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Leeds United are interested in signing Rodrigo De Paul this summer, but The Telegraph has claimed that Udinese will want at least £25 million for the 26-year-old.

After a promising start, Leeds’s summer window has sprung into the life over the weekend. Marcelo Bielsa has added both Rodrigo Moreno and Robin Koch to his ranks.

And it would appear that the Whites’ big spending may not be done. The Telegraph reports that Leeds want De Paul, and have made the Argentina international their number one midfield target.

The report notes that the Serie A side will hold out for at least £25 million with the former Valencia man tied down to a long-term contract.

De Paul contributed seven assists and scored six goals in the top flight last season.

He is predominantly considered an attacking midfielder also capable of playing out on the left. But he can also play slightly further back. So he certainly seems versatile enough to tick a crucial box for Bielsa.

TBR View: De Paul move would be huge statement

Leeds have already put their Premier League rivals on notice with their acquisitions of Rodrigo and Koch. And adding De Paul to their ranks would be a further statement of real intent.

It would perhaps be a surprise if they were planning to make the kind of bid that Udinese would be willing to accept for De Paul. Their summer spending also includes the deal that saw Helder Costa’s loan become a permanent move.

But Leeds were always likely to be a side that felt that less was significantly more in terms of the quantity of first-team signings they made this summer.

So perhaps it should not be a surprise if they continue to use what money they have remaining on a small number of marquee signings rather than on a raft of squad players.