Leeds United must land Udinese star Rodrigo de Paul this summer amid David Norris' transfer claim.
What's the story?
Reports last summer suggested that Marcelo Bielsa's side were very much interested in signing the Argentina international, and news has once again emerged that the Whites would be keen to bring him to Elland Road this time around.
And, speaking exclusively to FFC, former Leeds man Norris has suggested that De Paul could well be one of the more high-profile signings that Leeds make this summer.
He said: "From the players I’ve seen Leeds been linked with at the minute, I think Rodrigo De Paul from Udinese is most likely going to be one of the bigger signings coming in.
"They could be looking for someone in his mould and specifically that position, and I don’t think Leeds would ever rule out the chance of signing any decent player."
Imagine him and Kalvin Phillips
While Kalvin Phillips has grown into the heartbeat of this Leeds side, the England international could do with some extra quality support in the middle of the park, and De Paul fits that bill to a tee.
The Argentine has bagged nine goals and ten assists in 35 games in the Serie A alone, and his coach at Udinese, Luca Gotti, has waxed lyrical about the kind of ability and potential that he has.
He said: "Rodrigo is not the only one we have here who has a bright future but he can play for all the top clubs. Any team in the world. I mean, he starts for Lionel Messi’s Argentina. I’ve been able to watch this metamorphosis from up close, the shift in mentality that turns a good player into a top player, a champion.
"He’s become a leader and is the first person to demand more of himself. Rodrigo is able to pass that work ethic on to his team-mates."
The £26m-rated De Paul is the man who Udinese rally behind, and it's no surprise that the midfielders ranks top for goals and assists for his side this season, as well as boasting the most key passes and dribbles per game too.
The Italian side's technical director, Pier Paolo Marino, has also added to the list of De Paul's admirers, adding: "Rodrigo is animated by a profound love of football. It’s one of the attributes all top players must have. He’s a tireless worker who mixes quantity with quality, training as hard as he plays. In a nutshell, he’s the ideal player."
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Having two leaders like De Paul and Phillips in the engine room would give Bielsa's team a formidable midfield duo that would possess the kind of quality that the club can really build around. Victor Orta must do all he can to get him to Elland Road.
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