Mariano Troilo: One incredible stat proves Leeds should agree £17m+ deal
Mariano Troilo feels like the perfect option for Leeds United after his impressive spell at Parma.
The ambidextrous centre-back moved to the Serie A side for around £6m from Argentine club Belgrano last summer and established himself as a key player in Emilia-Romagna towards the end of the 2025-26 campaign.
After some eye-catching displays in Italy, the 23-year-old defender is attracting interest from several Premier League clubs.
Troilo has been linked with a move to Elland Road this summer and he could replace Pascal Struijk.
Daniel Farke built his defence around the now Brighton and Hove Albion star, Joe Rodon and Jaka Bijol to secure top-flight safety and the German manager has lost a pivotal part of his success in LS11.
What the 49-year-old head coach arguably values most at the West Yorkshire outfit is maintaining possession and control, and that starts with the backline.
Leeds United offer update emerges amid Mariano Troilo interest
Troilo was the subject of an enquiry from Fulham recently, but Parma rejected their £17million offer.
According to Parma Live on 7 July, while Leeds have the Argentine defender in their sights, it will take a lot more than what the Cottagers offered to sign him.
No new official offers have been tabled for the centre-back, who is seen as an important player by the Italian club after he made 18 league starts and was named in the team of the week four times in the 2025-26 campaign, as per Sofascore.
One statistic that will stand out for the Whites is Troilo's composure on the ball, completing 89 per cent of his passes, while he also succeeded in 71 per cent of his attempted dribbles.
The defender recorded a top speed of 33.5 kilometres per hour in Serie A and his recovery speed is something the West Yorkshire outfit will definitely admire if Farke looks to revert to playing a high line.
Daniel Farke could be set for tactical switch at Elland Road
With Struijk leaving Leeds, Farke is left short on personnel at centre-back, with Rodon, Bijol and Sebastiaan Bornauw the other natural options in the position.
James Justin and Gabriel Gudmundsson have shown they can deputise at centre-back, but that surely can't be a permanent solution for the German manager.
What Farke could potentially be looking to do next is move away from a three-in-the-back system, with Rodon and Bijol forming the defensive partnership.
While the Whites may still need to reinforce their backline further, finding a quality replacement for Struijk would not be necessary if tactics are changed at Elland Road.