Leeds United can make genius move for star who once 'enchanted' Ruben Amorim
Daniel Farke is keen to sign reinforcements for the current Leeds United squad, and he could take advice from a controversial source.
The manager has even threatened to walk away from Elland Road should the hierarchy fail to meet his demands, but Paraag Marathe has already poured cold water over any big-money deals.
The chairman's quotes have done very little to quell the excitement in West Yorkshire, though, and transfer rumours continue to sprout from every corner of the globe this summer.
Stefan Borson told Football Insider that the Whites will likely have to sell before they buy, but Farke has clearly identified some high-profile transfers already.
Despite strong performances from the likes of Joe Rodon and Pascal Struijk, the centre of defence appears to be a big focus at Elland Road this summer.
Although supporters are crying out for an exciting signing up front, it is sensible for a rock-solid base to be built before anything is considered.
Leeds United must win race for Ousmane Diomande
With that in mind, it makes total sense that Leeds have joined the race for Sporting CP's Ousmane Diomande, who is attracting interest from all over Europe.
The 22-year-old centre-half has great admirers, but having put pen to paper on fresh terms recently, his release clause is reportedly in the region of £69million.
Undoubtedly, that would be a club-record bid for the Whites, but as a player who once "immediately enchanted" Ruben Amorim [Opta], it seems like a risk worth taking this summer.
While some may shy away from taking advice from the former Manchester United boss, Farke would be making an intelligent decision to listen to those words.
What does that mean for Leeds' current squad?
It would take a lot of money to secure Diomande's signature, and that, therefore, could throw doubt over many of the current players' futures.
Jaka Bijol has likely struggled for minutes much more than he anticipated after making the £15m switch to Elland Road, but he is expected to stay.
Instead, Struijk is once again strongly linked with a switch across the Premier League, admired for his ball-playing ability and fiercelessness in possession.
However, Diomande brings those qualities and so much more in spades, so it makes total sense for Leeds to cash in on at least one of their current players to afford a deal this summer.