Leeds transfer news: Plan still being worked on after Firpo signing; £30m name ruled out | OneFootball

Leeds United are looking to sign a new midfielder this summer but that man is unlikely to be  Cagliari star Nahitan Nandez, according to The Athletic.

With Junior Firpo and Jack Harrison signed in the last week, the Yorkshire giants aren't thought to be finished in their attempts to further strengthen their squad after a successful first season in the Premier League.

A central midfielder is understood to be on their list of priorities after bringing in a left-back, although Nandez appears unlikely to join at this stage.

Should Leeds sign Nandez?

The Uruguayan international would appear to have the physical profile to impress under Marcelo Bielsa.

As per FBREF data, the 25-year-old ranks within the top 99 percentile across Europe's major five leagues for pressing actions per game (19.52), as well as in the highest 90% for dribbles completed over the same period.

Given Leeds' high-pressure style of play, Nandez does look, at least on paper, as a relatively natural fit.

Why wouldn't Leeds sign Nandez?

The report suggests Leeds are looking for a young central midfielder with the potential to develop under Bielsa's watch.

While, at 25, Nandez isn't exactly old, perhaps the club are looking for a longer-term investment, as well as someone to come in and initially act as a back-up to a central midfield who served Bielsa so well last season.

As a fully-fledged international and a player reportedly valued at £30m, Nandez would be a statement signing, although the idea of playing him on a rotational basis might not exactly be the best use of funds.

Who else have they been linked with?

Although clearly as not as big a name, Huddersfield Town's Lewis O'Brien is thought to be a target for the club this summer.

In April, The Sun suggested he was valued at around £4m, so would represent a much cheaper addition and, at 22, may be more suitable to developing under Bielsa on a long-term basis.

What has Victor Orta said about Leeds' transfer business?

Speaking on The Phil Hay Show back in May, director of football Victor Orta revealed he was keen to wrap up most of the club's transfer business by the end of June.

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“It’s a strange market, I think obviously I want all the new players to start pre-season,” he said (via TEAMtalk).

“I still have a long month of June and obviously I hope that the month of June we can finish the job.

“We can put our effort but it is not always just our side. Perhaps from our side, it is all done but there are a lot of people involved and it is out of our control.”