Leeds United could make a move for Diogo Monteiro before deadline day...

What's the word?

That's according to The Athletic's Phil Hay, who claims that now the Servette centre-back has turned 18, the Whites are free to make a move for him in what would be initially for the U21 side.

His contract is up at the end of the season, meaning the Yorkshire side can sign him on a pre-contract agreement and that could make him Victor Orta's fourth piece of business this month, having broken a club record to sign Georginio Rutter, on top of signing Max Wober and potentially Weston McKennie too.

Marsch's next Gvardiol?

Since arriving in the dugout last season, manager Jesse Marsch has signed plenty of familiar names, including the aforementioned Austrian defender, Brenden Aaronson and Rasmus Kristensen.

The American head coach is renowned for his ability to unearth gems from nothing and turn them into something special, with perhaps Erling Haaland being his most notable example.

Monteiro could well be the next one up, especially as the first-team boss isn't shy of unleashing young talent, with the likes of Joe Gelhardt, Sonny Perkins and Sam Greenwood all earning minutes in recent times.

Marsch was the man to hand Josko Gvardiol his debut at Leipzig, interestingly at left-back in 2021. Now he's thought to be among the top central defensive talents across the world, with estimated values of around £100m being bandied about.

The Portugal U19 international has a long way to following in his footsteps but given the blueprint is already there, he has every chance of succeeding at just that, should he make the switch to Elland Road.

Having made his breakthrough at just 17, Monteiro has been lauded as "a beast in the making" and "such a monster" by scout Ron Dor, having particularly impressed against the league's biggest team - Young Boys.

He put his body on the line and displayed impressive aerial attributes, winning 75% of his headers and putting in six interceptions.

If Monteiro is able to quickly impress around Thorp Arch, then he could be fast-tracked into the first team, where let's be honest, they could do with every bit of help possible, given only four other teams have conceded more than them in the Premier League this term.

By unearthing the Portuguese sensation, Marsch could well discover his next Gvardiol and maybe one day, he'll rake in millions of pounds in profit for the west Yorkshire giants.

AND in other news, Orta could form an "incredible" duo in Leeds move for £17.5m talent dubbed the "best"...