By Joe Ellis

10th Jul, 2022 | 4:10pm

Leeds United must stay on tail of Hamed Traore despite injury woes

Leeds United may have already made six summer signings in 2022 but they need to keep on pushing the transfer market wherever possible.

One player who they could look to push on to sign is Sassuolo midfielder Hamed Junior Traore after Gazzetta Dello Sport linked the Whites with a £21.5million move on 23 June.

The 22-year-old was a very regular feature for the Italian side last season, making 31 appearances in Serie A and scoring seven goals as they laboured to a mid-table finish.

The Ivorian international has been getting among the preparations for the new season with Sassuolo but his progress has been halted after sustaining a fracture to his foot.

“Hamed Traorè will not be added to the team group for the preparation underway in Vipiteno,” a club statement read, as quoted by Di Marzio.

“The neroverde footballer underwent surgery to reduce the fracture of the fifth metatarsal of his left foot. Further evaluations will be carried out in the coming days.”

Most clubs in the race to sign Traore will see this news as a sign to back out and look elsewhere for their summer signings but Leeds United need to buck the trend.

Traore is such an unpredictable player that he can be both a blessing and a curse for whoever has him in their team but on that one day where he is unplayable, you will be beaming with delight to have him in your team.

Even if we need to wait until the end of the transfer window to make sure he can pass his medical, we really need to be patient and believe that he will make it rather than signing any other midfield target.

Marc Roca and Tyler Adams are already in the squad to marshal the engine room so a new addition is not in desperate need but the X-Factor that the Ivorian can bring is well worth the wait.

In other Leeds United news, Simon Grayson has been salivating at our transfer business so far.