Leeds United join Crystal Palace and Leicester City in Norwich City transfer hunt | OneFootball

The Whites are now thought to be admirers of Gabriel Sara, who played a huge part in guiding the Canaries into the promotion mix last term.

Highlights

Interest in Norwich City's Gabriel Sara is mounting.

According to Corriere dello Sport [26/7 paper edition; page 31] (via MOT Leeds News), Leeds United are now admirers of the Brazilian, whose attacking record last term was exceptional.

His contributions from midfield played a huge part in Norwich City's top-six finish - and it only seems like a matter of time before the player seals an exit from Carrow Road.

However, the Canaries have managed to retain their top stars so far this summer and considering their lack of transfer business during this window so far, they may be focused on keeping their key assets at Carrow Road.

This could make it extremely difficult for a team to strike a deal, especially Leeds, who remain in the Championship following their play-off final defeat against Southampton back in May.

Sara isn't the first Canaries player that the Whites have been linked to since former Norwich boss Daniel Farke arrived at Elland Road.

Kenny McLean and Josh Sargent have reportedly appeared on their radar in the past - and it remains to be seen whether the West Yorkshire side reignites their interest in either of them.

The Whites need to be careful with their spending though - because more key players may need to be sold if they invest heavily in their squad between now and the end of the summer transfer window.

Leeds United face battle for Gabriel Sara's signature

Sara isn't likely to come cheap for any team that wants to sign him, with the player still having two years left on his contract.

As well as this, the Canaries have the option to extend his deal by a further 12 months after that, putting Johannes Hoff Thorup's side in a very strong negotiating position.

That hasn't deterred teams from taking an interest in him though, with Corriere dello Sport (via MOT Leeds News) reporting that Atalanta, Crystal Palace, Galatasaray and Leicester City are all interested in the player, along with Leeds.

With this top-flight competition, the Whites look set to face a real battle if they are serious about striking a deal for the Brazilian.

If Leeds are planning to use him in a deeper role, potentially alongside Ethan Ampadu or Ilia Gruev, he's someone that the Whites may want to bid for straight away.

The Whites are in desperate need of more options in this department, even if Ampadu moves back up into midfield.

But there's a chance that Leeds may want to use him in an advanced midfield role if Georginio Rutter leaves Elland Road before the end of the summer window.

Rutter was recently the subject of a £30m Brighton bid and if he leaves for an amount in that range or higher, that could allow Leeds to push through a deal for Sara.

However, you feel Norwich would prefer to sell him to a club in the top flight, rather than a league rival. With this in mind and the fact the midfield is likely to be expensive, Leeds may need to line up some alternative targets to pursue, if they haven't done so already.