According to transfer reports, Leeds remain interested in signing Sampdoria defender Omar Colley this summer.
What's the story?
Reports in recent weeks have suggested that the 1.91m-tall (6 foot 3) defender is of interest to Marcelo Bielsa's side ahead of the upcoming summer transfer window, and it now appears that a deal is very much there to be done.
According to ClubDoria46 (via Sport Witness), Sampdoria's owner Massimo Ferrero is looking for a price between €10m and €15m (£8.6m-£12.9m) in order to sell him.
The report added that, along with Leeds, fellow Premier League sides Fulham and West Ham are also interested in signing the centre-back.
Bielsa will be relieved
Amid an impressive return to the Premier League this season, one of the big problems Bielsa has faced at Elland Road has been Leeds' difficulty in dealing with set pieces - their tally of 15 conceded is the highest by far of any team in the division.
In signing Colley, Victor Orta would go a long way to addressing that problem, giving the Whites a centre-back who is an absolute monster in the air. This season has seen him win 2.9 aerial duels per game, which would rank him second among Bielsa's current squad, with only club captain Liam Cooper averaging more with 3.9 per match.
In addition, as per Whoscored, his average of 2.6 interceptions per game would rank him first among all of Leeds' players, while his 4.2 clearances per match also sees him comfortably above any of Bielsa's current squad.
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Colley appears to have that 'safety-first' mentality which might just give the Leeds manager a completely different option to what he currently has at his disposal.
Rather than having his strengths being able to play out from the back, Colley excels more so within the width of his own penalty area. Just having a player like the Sampdoria ace who relishes the 'dirty' side of the game might just help Leeds shore things up more firmly.
Meanwhile, Leeds are facing a transfer battle to sign this midfielder...