Leeds United have been dealt a blow in their bid to bring Mohamed Camara to Elland Road.
What's the talk?
That's according to a report by the Daily Mail, who claim that, despite Victor Orta having made an enquiry for the Red Bull Salzburg midfielder this summer, it is now Everton who appear to be leading the race for the 22-year-old's signature, with Camara himself said to be keen on a switch to Goodison Park over Elland Road.
The report goes on to state that Newcastle United are also believed to be keen on the Mali international, who is reported to be available for a figure in the region of €30m (£25m) this summer.
Orta blunder
Considering how exciting a prospect Camara undoubtedly is, should Everton go on to seal a deal for the 23-year-old in the coming weeks, missing out on the midfielder's signature will almost certainly be a decision that Orta will very quickly live to regret.
Indeed, over his 25 Austrian Bundesliga appearances in 2021/22, the £24.3m-rated talent proved just much of an all-round midfielder he is, making an average of 1.3 interceptions, 1.9 tackles, 45.8 passes, 4.8 long balls and winning 6.4 duels - at a success rate of 61% - per game.
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The £2.9k-per-week dynamo also impressed going forwards, scoring one goal, providing three assists and creating three big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 0.9 shots, making one key pass and completing 1.8 dribbles per fixture.
These metrics saw the player who Jacek Kulig claimed would be an "amazing signing" for a top Premier League side average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.20, ranking him as the tenth-best player in the Austrian Bundesliga last time out.
The 23-year-old - who has drawn comparisons to N'Golo Kante - also caught the eye in the Champions League last season, making an average of 2.1 tackles, 1.5 interceptions, 40.3 passes, 3.6 long balls and winning 7.4 duels over his eight appearances in the competition - averaging a SofaScore match rating of 6.94.
As such, with it being clear that Camara is very much an all-rounder, being capable of both scoring and creating goals, breaking up play and possessing a clear eye for a pass, it is not difficult to see why Everton are keen to bring the Malian to the Premier League this summer, while it is also easy to suggest that Orta will have made a blunder if he misses out on the midfielder's signature.