Striker Arnaud Kalimuendo celebrates after scoring for Lens
Leeds United target Arnaud Kalimuendo is available for £21million, according to French newspaper L’Equipe.
The lowdown
Kalimuendo, 20, has come through the youth ranks at Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain.
He has spent the last two seasons out on loan with another side in the French top flight, RC Lens.
The Frenchman, who has played virtually all of his football as a centre-forward, is under contract at the Parc des Princes until the summer of 2024.
The latest
L’Equipe (via TEAMtalk) report that Leeds will only have to increase an initial offer of £17million by £4million in order to agree a deal for Kalimuendo.
It remains to be seen whether Victor Orta and Andrea Radrizzani return to the table and matches their price, or whether he instead tries to reach a middle ground or move on to another target.
The verdict
Leeds want to sign a striker and Kalimuendo could be an excellent long-term purchase.
He bagged 12 goals in 34 appearances last season for a Lens side that finished in seventh, averaging one every 181 minutes.
Impressively, he reached that tally from an expected goals of just 9.4, suggesting he’s clinical in front of goal.
Kalimuendo is, in the words of talent scout Jacek Kulig, ‘one of the most prolific U20s in Europe’s top five leagues’.
The French Under-21 international could come to look like a real coup for Leeds in a couple of years’ time.
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