Leeds-Live tar 'det siste' rundt de Paul...
https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/sport/leeds-united/leeds-transfer-de-paul-latest-18855552Rodrigo De Paul to Leeds United: Fresh twist as midfielder misses friendly, Udinese set to sign replacementMarcelo Bielsa's side continue to be linked with a move for the Argentine internationalBy George SmithRicky Charlesworth 14:00, 14 SEP 2020In a bid to be as strong as possible for the trip to Merseyside, Leeds have already bolstered their ranks in the past week, landing SC Freiburg defender Robin Koch and Spain international Rodrigo from Valencia for a club-record fee.
Now, the Whites are aiming to add even more quality to the squad in the shape of Udinese midfield star Rodrigo De Paul. The Argentina international is considered as one of the most creative players in Serie A and has attracted Leeds' attention.
With that in mind, here is a round-up of everything we know so far about De Paul's future and Leeds' quest to sign him.
Absent for Udinese game
The latest twist in the De Paul saga came on Sunday night.
The Argentine midfielder was left out of Udinese's squad for their latest pre-season friendly.
The Serie A side lost 1-0 to third tier team Vicenza, ahead of this weekend's opening slate of top flight fixtures, with De Paul absent amid recent transfer speculation.
And that speculation has been heightened with the news that Udinese are set to sign a new attacker.
Gianluca Di Marzio states that the Serie A side are poised to sign Tolgay Arslan from Turkish side Fenerbache.
That may then open the door for De Paul to finally seal a transfer of his own.
Leicester join the race
Transfer expert Nicolo Schira has claimed that high-flying Leicester City have joined the race for De Paul.
He claims that the Whites have put a four-year contract on the table but that the Foxes have now joined the bidding.
Brendan Rodgers' side are looking to build on an impressive fifth-placed finish last season.
The fact they will have to juggle domestic duties with a Europa League campaign means there could be legs in a move for the Argentine, to compete with current wide men Harvey Barnes and Ayoze Perez.
Leeds keen on midfielder
Leeds are keen on luring De Paul to Elland Road this summer as head coach Marcelo Bielsa aims to bolster his midfield options.
According to highly respected Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, Leeds are very interested in getting a deal over the line for the Udinese star.
He claims that Leeds are locked in discussions with Udinese about getting a deal over the line, with a transfer potentially costing the Whites somewhere in the region of £30million.
Udinese name their price
Serie A outfit are not willing to let go of De Paul this summer unless they can secure £31million for his services.
That is according to a report by The Guardian, who claim Leeds are very interested in bringing De Paul to the Premier League.
Leeds closing in on agreement
Leeds are working hard on a deal to try and reach an agreement with Udinese to sign De Paul and it is claimed by Gianlucadimarzio.com that an agreement could be reached within the "coming days."
Udinese remain eager to secure £31million for his services but are prepared to let him go if Leeds stump up the cash.
Should the Whites get a deal over the line for the Argentine it would break their club-record transfer fee for the second time this summer.
Agent talks
With speculation rife around the midfielder's future rife, it has now been claimed that De Paul's agent is flying to Italy to hold talks with Udinese.
According to Tuttomercanoweb the agent is keen to hold talks with both the Italian club and with the clubs interested in signing the player, including Leeds United.
The report claims that Leeds are among a host of Italian clubs who have targeted De Paul including Fiorentina, AC Milan and Napoli.
It is said that Leeds have submitted an offer of £31.1 million for the player, but Udinese are looking for a fee more in the region of £35.6 million.
Midfielder plays no part in friendly
Udinese stepped up their preparations for the start of the new season on Thursday evening, facing Legano in a friendly.
However, there was no place for De Paul in the squad, suggesting that he could soon be on his way out of the Serie A club.
Leeds are keen to secure his signature and this, potentially, could be the biggest hint yet that he could soon be on his way.
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