Leeds United look at Mariano Troilo transfer, he once made Lionel Messi laugh with request
Leeds United are clearly in the market for a new defender this summer.
Daniel Farke is currently evaluating his squad ahead of the summer break after securing Premier League survival with ease.
Jaka Bijol was the headline defensive addition after promotion, joining Pascal Struijk and Joe Rodon in a back three eventually.
With doubts over the future of Struijk and Sebastiaan Bornauw already, Leeds are looking to enter the market.
That saw links to Ousmane Diomande at Sporting CP, although the Whites would need to break their transfer record to sign him.
This is where Mariano Troilo comes into play, with the Parma defender now linked with West Yorkshire.
What has been said about Leeds and Mariano Troilo?
It has been reported in Argentina that Troilo is highly coveted in the Premier League this summer.
351 Deportes has reported on X that Leeds, as well as Brentford, Fulham and Sunderland are interested in the central defender.
Troilo is highly coveted, and Parma have already said that they won't sell their star man for less than £19.8million.
After only one year of Italian football, it appears that Troilo is set for a rapid rise in Europe.
That has coincided with his first senior call-up for Argentina, where he immediately made Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul laugh.
Upon meeting Argentina and the world's greatest, he asked Messi not to look in their Instagram chats, due to messages he'd sent as a younger man and fan, via Infobae.
Who else could Leeds United sign in defence?
Right now, it appears to be a straight shootout between Troilo and Diomande.
Danilho Doekhi has been mentioned consistently as a free agent after leaving Union Berlin, but that appears to have gone quiet.
Diomande has been coveted for many years now in England, and any deal would cost upwards of £40million for Leeds.
Troilo is available for half of that, so it depends where Paraag Marathe and the 49ers want to share their budget out.
Midfield appears to be sorted, but a couple of game-changing attacking options are certaintly needed, and don't come cheap.
That would make Troilo a smarter addition, and after sharing a dressing room with Messi, he's bound for success sooner rather than later.