Leeds burst into race to sign £17m+ star

Leeds United are reportedly pursuing a player who could arrive at Elland Road as their biggest ever signing in the summer transfer window.

The Whites are interested in a deal to bring Sporting central defender Ousmane Diomande to West Yorkshire for a fee of £39m, which would eclipse the £35.5m that they paid Hoffenheim for Georginio Rutter in January 2023.

Whilst the transfer is not done and dusted by any means, the club are said to have already agreed personal terms with the Ivorian star ahead of a potential move.

The 22-year-old star has won the Liga Portugal in two of the last three seasons with Sporting, but only played 17 times in the league during the 2025/26 campaign, as they finished second behind Porto.

Diomande did, however, start seven of his nine appearances in the Champions League for the Portuguese giants, and would arrive at Elland Road as a player with plenty of experience at the top level.

Leeds United enter race to sign Serie A star

Whilst the £39m-rated talent has played in the Champions League, the centre-back has not played in one of Europe’s major leagues and it remains to be seen how he would adapt to playing at a higher level in domestic football.

Now, the club are reportedly looking at another centre-back who would be an even better addition to Daniel Farke’s squad than the Ivorian colossus.

According to SportsBoom, Leeds United have burst into the race to sign Parma central defender Mariano Troilo in the upcoming summer transfer window.

The report claims that their Premier League rivals Fulham and Brighton are both expected to put offers of up to £17m in for the centre-back, but that is not expected to be enough to secure his services.

It adds that the Whites, along with Brentford, are also keeping tabs on his situation and could make moves to bring the Argentine star over to England in the off-season.

SportsBoom reveals, though, that Parma are set to demand way more than £17m for the 22-year-old talent, and it remains to be seen whether or not Leeds are prepared to make a bid of their own for him.

Why Leeds should sign Mariano Troilo instead of Ousmane Diomande

Instead of splashing out a club-record transfer fee to sign Diomande from Sporting, Leeds should push to win the race for Troilo ahead of Fulham, Brighton, and Brentford.

Unlike the Sporting star, the Argentine centre-back has experience in one of Europe’s major leagues, having played in the Serie A in the 2025/26 campaign.

On top of that, Troilo’s defensive performances in the Italian top-flight were even more impressive than Diomande’s were in the Portuguese division this season.

The Argentine star produced better defensive numbers than the Sporting centre-back in most key metrics, particulary when it came to winning duels against opposition attackers.

Football in the Premier League is incredibly physical and the centre-backs need to be strong players who can hold their own in duels, which is why Diomande’s 38% success rate in ground duels this season is a cause for concern.

Troilo, however, won 56% of his ground duels and 63% of his aerial duels in the Serie A for Parma, which suggests that he has the mobility and the physicality to be a dominant defender for Farke at Leeds.

Meanwhile, both players lost possession five times or less per game at league this season, less than any Leeds centre-back, and this shows that they are both incredibly composed on the ball and would suit Farke’s ball-dominant style of play.

Leeds should be aiming to kick on and push for European football in the Premier League next season, which is why they need to bolster the quality of their squad.

Signing Troilo ahead of Diomande, because of his superior defensive skills and experience in a major European league, could be a good first step to improving the team for next term.