Leeds United want to sign Bordeaux striker Sekou Mara, battle on with Newcastle United and Aston Villa

Leeds are locked in a battle with Newcastle United and Aston Villa to sign Bordeaux striker Sekou Mara in an £8.5m deal, according to Foot Mercato.

The Whites are keen to sign a new striker to bolster the attack and provide competition for Patrick Bamford and Joe Gelhardt this season, with Jesse Marsch admitting that the hunt is on during the window.

Now they are targeting 19-year-old striker Mara, who scored six goals in Ligue 1 last season as Bordeaux were relegated down to Ligue 2.

Financial problems have seen them relegated again to the third division, but according to Foot Mercato they are still valuing Mara at €10m (£8.5m) to sell him this summer.

Newcastle have made their interest the most concrete so far, but Bordeaux are yet to receive any official offers so far.

Talent

Mara is clearly a very talented young forward, who scored five of his six goals last season in the final seven games of the season.

An analysis of the player by Breaking The Lines compared his movement to the legendary striker Thierry Henry, with the France Under-21 international capable of playing on the left wing or as the central number 9.

Leeds are in need of a striker, but whether someone as unproven as Mara is the answer is hard to say currently when you look at their squad.

Most fans would much rather see Gelhardt given an opportunity to cement himself this season in the first-team as a regular, and with other attacking options such as Daniel James, Luis Sinisterra, Jack Harrison and Rodrigo at the club he's not really needed on the wing.

It's an intriguing deal for the Whites to try and pull off, certainly, but whether it will actually happen or not seems a bit of a way off as it stands.

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