Leeds United enter talks to sign centre-back - report

Marcelo Bielsa initially only wanted Leeds United to sign one defender this summer.

That appears to have changed, with Phil Hay reporting that El Loco could warm up to the idea of another centre-back after confirming the signature of Robin Koch on Saturday.

That would certainly be a smart decision, with the Whites' third-choice centre-back currently Pascal Struijk who moved into midfield last season.

Fabrizio Romano has reiterated those claims, reporting late on Sunday that Leeds are in the market for Dinamo Zagreb defender Josko Gvardiol.

The Sky Sports journalist shared on his personal Twitter account that the two clubs have opened talks and the price-tag is around £17.8million.

Gvardiol is only 18-years-old, and would likely arrive at Elland Road as a rotation option for the more experienced pairing of Liam Cooper and Koch.

With Gaetano Berardi still not being offered another contract due to his long injury lay-off, this could be a critical signing for Bielsa.

Victor Orta is clearly looking for a younger option to come in, with Manchester United's Axel Tuanzebe another name that has been mentioned.

Gvardiol only made 11 appearances last season but did feature in the Champions League for the Croatian side against CFR Cluj last week.

The 18-year-old has established himself as a ball-playing defender, completing over 65 passes per 90 minutes according to WyScout - 91.6% of those accurate.

As well as that he averages 6.17 interceptions per game, more than both Cooper and Koch combined - something that will please Bielsa massively.

Gvardiol is still making a name for himself at Zagreb, but it appears that Leeds are looking to snap him up early to avoid competition.

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