Leeds United are continuing their pursuit of a long-term target, and have now made yet another move towards sealing a deal...

What’s the latest?

That's according to 90min, who claim that the Whites have upped the ante with a fresh bid for Morocco's World Cup star Azzedine Ounahi.

The 22-year-old has been linked with a move to Elland Road since early December when Victor Orta first admitted his interest in the midfielder, and this report is now suggesting they are ramping up the pressure to agree to a deal with Angers.

There is a belief that the Yorkshire club have offered €25m (£22m), which is not a far cry from the reported €30m (£26m) valuation that the French club have placed upon him.

Imagine him & Rodrigo

Although the midfield maestro has been talked about plenty of times now, given the notoriety of this potential deal, it has not been touched upon just how instrumental he could be on those around him should he make the move.

One of his outstanding qualities is his ball retention, able to progress his side up the pitch with lung-busting runs that draw in defenders. 

Ranking in the top 1% for dribbles completed when compared with other midfielders supplements this, as when he moves with such speed and finesse he is sure to occupy the attention of more than a few of his opposition.

As such, this could be a fine tactic to afford the lethal Rodrigo more space, with the Spaniard enjoying a bout of blistering form this campaign under manager Jesse Marsch.

After 17 Premier League games, the 31-year-old has already notched ten goals, dwarfing the returns from his previous two seasons already since he first made his £27m move.

He has truly stepped up given the continued absence of Patrick Bamford, but he needs help.

Whilst Ounahi is yet to score or assist this season in Ligue 1, his underlying statistics suggest that he is getting unlucky given the work rate and quality he hands to his teammates.

He is averaging 1.1 key passes per game, which would please Rodrigo, and has created three big chances of which none have been dispatched.

Perhaps upgrading to a higher calibre of player in the Leeds squad, especially with their top marksman receiving these chances, Ounahi's tally could start becoming more tangible as he strives to retain the form he found in Qatar that saw him once labelled "world-class" by USA-based coach Jed Davies.

This is a saga that has been drawn out over the past two months, and could finally conclude in the coming weeks as Orta nears the aforementioned valuation. 

Rodrigo will be the keenest to welcome this new member of the squad, fully aware of how instrumental he can be in catapulting his game even further.