Why Leeds United have fresh Mandela Keita hope despite recent shutdown

Leeds United fans may not have seen the end of the Mandela Keita transfer saga just yet.

After being made to wait perhaps slightly longer than they would've liked, Leeds have finally made their first big transfer breakthrough of the summer.

Harry Wilson has completed his long-touted Elland Road switch, and Daniel Farke will be keen to harness this momentum to get more deals over the line in the coming weeks.

Parma midfielder Keita is a player that has been getting touted to Leeds in recent days, with the Whites also reportedly keen on Southampton star Shea Charles.

Evidently then, Farke is determined to bolster his central midfield ranks this summer.

But, just as quickly as the links to Keita began, it had appeared as though a line had been put through his name at LS11, but maybe this was premature.

Report conflicts what's been said about Leeds and Mandela Keita

Earlier this week, the Yorkshire Evening Post's chief football writer Graham Smyth claimed that there wasn't anything to the reports linking Leeds to Keita.

Smyth is a respected source of information in the Leeds community, but his understanding of the situation has now been challenged in Italy.

That's because a report from Parma Live on Wednesday has suggested that Leeds are indeed still looking at Keita, and that they're ready to rival Everton for his signature.

It's stated that the 24-year-old has a valuation set by Parma at a minimum of €30million (£25.5m), and so he wouldn't come cheap for the Whites.

Perhaps, then, this isn't one to completely rule out for Leeds at this stage, with the Belgian looking destined for a move to the Premier League this summer one way or another.

Leeds interest in Keita dates back years

Keita may have only just emerged as a potential transfer target for Leeds in this summer's window, but the reality is that he's been a player on their radar for much longer.

Indeed, a report from Belgian football journalist David Van den Broeck detailed Leeds' interest in him all the way back in April 2023.

At that time, Keita was an OH Leuven player out on loan with Royal Antwerp, whilst Leeds were weeks away from finishing 19th in the Premier League and being relegated to the Championship.

So, this does give further credence to this fresh report from Italy, as it would appear that the central midfielder is a talent that has been known to those inside Elland Road for some time.