By Saikat Mandal

13th Jul, 2022 | 10:10pm

Leeds United must move within next 72 hours to sign Otavio

Leeds United must plan to replace Barcelona-bound Raphinha, and the Whites should move quickly to sign Porto midfielder Otavio.

According to a report from Portuguese newspaper Record (12 July, page 16), the Whites are “leading” the race to sign the 27-year-old. They face competition from the likes of Aston Villa and Leicester City.

The Whites have had a bid for the player rejected early this summer, but they now have a golden opportunity to land him, if they can secure a deal in the next 72 hours.

The attacking player has a release clause of around £33m which is valid till 15 July of this month. After that, a release clause will kick in, which stands around £50m.

Now, Porto fear that potential suitors could take this advantage of this strange clause. Porto may not stick with the £50m release clause later, but any potential club will have to pay a high transfer fee, compared to what it is now, which is still pretty high.

It will be a blockbuster signing for the club should Leeds manage to pull off a deal.

With Raphinha close to joining Barcelona, Leeds can afford to use the money to bring in at least one more quality attacking player this summer, and Otavio would be a superb addition.

The Portuguese international is a versatile attacking midfielder who can play on both wings as also in central midfield. Last season, he managed five goals and 11 assists in all competitions for the club.

Jesse Marsch would love to have a player who is unselfish, works hard for the team, and has got the quality to split defences with killer passes.

The only problem is the player probably would prefer a move to a club that can guarantee him Champions League football, but that should not stop Leeds from making attempts to lure him to Elland Road.

In other Leeds United news, the Whites now want to sign this striker with a rival set to kickstart a major £30million+ transfer battle