Although Leeds didn't make much use of the January transfer window, they are still being linked to plenty of potential targets. One man they have found their name involved with is Tommaso Pobega, who has attracted a lot of attention with his rising performances.

According to Tuttosport, the Whites are in the running to sign the 21-year-old along with Leicester City, who are also looking to bolster their options in midfield (via Sport Witness).

Should Andrea Radrizzani look to loosen the purse strings in the summer, he will be spending upwards of €10million (£8.6m) on bringing Pobega to Elland Road.

Look out, Jamie Shackleton

Leeds will benefit from signing some more midfield options, as they currently field the same four in the engine room each game. Mateusz Klich is a leading performer in Marcelo Bielsa's side, but having options to pivot is key.

The 2020 Championship winners have plenty of options out wide, but are short on central and attacking midfielders. Along with Klich, Leeds have just Pablo Hernandez, the injured Adam Forshaw and Jamie Shackleton on the roster. The latter has struggled for game time over the past two seasons, despite pushing to establish his place in the starting lineup.

As per Transfermarkt, Shackleton has featured just ten times in the Premier League this campaign. Only two of those appearances came as starts – he has been dropped since he was unable to make an impact in Leeds' 4-1 loss to Leicester back in November.

Should the Whites choose to bring in a new up and coming youngster of similar age to Shackleton, he could come under a lot of pressure in his fight for game time.

When comparing the two midfielders, Pobega already has the better statistics for this reason. According to WhoScored, the AC Milan loanee has averaged more passes and shots towards goal than Shackleton this season. Not only has he also banked more minutes in action, but he made easy work of netting three goals for loan side Spezia Calcio.

jamie-shackleton-tommaso-pobega-stats
jamie-shackleton-tommaso-pobega-stats

However, whilst Pobega looks a good and promising player from the outside looking in, Victor Orta will have a job on his hands to snap him up. The 21-year-old signed a hefty contract extension with AC Milan last summer, penning a new deal to keep him in Italy until 2025.

If Leeds are serious about bringing the playmaker to Yorkshire, they will have to drive a hard bargain to see the move through.

In other news, Leeds must look to cut their losses on Helder Costa...