Leeds United could eye a late midfield alternative before Monday's transfer deadline...

What's the word?

The Yorkshire giants have been left frustrated in their pursuit of RB Salzburg midfielder Brenden Aaronson so far, having seen a £15m bid for him rejected recently.

And they may well struggle to seal his signature as the Austrian title holders remain in the Champions League, with the 21-year-old a key player for the club.

However, according to the Daily Mail this week, the Whites have held talks with the agent of Marseille midfielder Boubacar Kamara, who could emerge as the ideal alternative to Aaronson.

The Ligue 1 outfit are reportedly prepared to sell him for just £10m, around half of Leeds' second bid for the Salzburg star.

Forget Aaronson?

Perhaps United chief Victor Orta and his recruitment team should quickly forget about the American international, at least until the summer when he may well be more attainable at their own valuation.

Instead, a move for Kamara could seriously pay off, especially at an absolute bargain price.

The need for a new midfielder has been lingering for quite some time at Elland Road. It's been four years since they signed someone in the role - that being Adam Forshaw in 2018 - and they have come close, missing out on Conor Gallagher in the summer and seeing a deal for Michael Cuisance fall through a year earlier.

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Valued at £22.5m by Transfermarkt, the France U21 international has already amassed plenty of experience at an elite level, featuring 135 times across Ligue 1 and UEFA's top two European competitions.

At just 22, that is certainly impressive.

Since making his debut for Les Olympiens, the young midfield beast has put up some remarkable numbers - as per WhoScored, Kamara has averaged 2.8 long balls, 2.3 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per game across his career thus far.

With Kalvin Phillips on the treatment table at Thorp Arch for the next month or two, it would make sense to target a player in this style, so that should make him an intriguing alternative to Aaronson, who appears to be so out of reach by next Monday's transfer deadline.

"This kid is a phenomenon," once claimed former teammate Rolando. "When he started training with us, he was 15 years old. And from day one, I said, no, but this little one is going to be a great player."

Kamara would be a fantastic addition to Bielsa's squad and for just £10m, it is surely a no brainer, on the evidence above.

Orta and co must now turn their attention to the 5 foot 10 Marseille powerhouse in the coming days.

AND in other news, Leeds dealt late January blow to midfield "machine" perfect for Bielsa, he'll be livid...