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Leeds United are interested in signing Sassuolo attacking midfielder Hamed Junior Traore, according to Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness).Â
The lowdown: Family affair
The brother of Manchester United wonder-kid Amad Diallo, Traore has been lighting up Serie A over the last three seasons and earned a £14.4million move from Empoli last summer (Transfermarkt).
Having continued to make great strides following the switch to Sassuolo, the 22-year-old Ivory Coast international could now be set to follow in his brother’s footsteps and head to the Premier League.
Previously linked with a €30million (£25million) move to AC Milan, one reputable Italian source has now brought the Whites into the equation…
The latest: Leeds cited
As per Gazzetta dello Sport, transcribed by SW, Leeds are described as ‘the most determined at the moment’ to make a deal happen having established contacts.
It’s claimed that both the Elland Road club and Milan remain attentive to the three-cap ace and will have to ‘bring offers of €25million (£21million) upward’ in order to prompt Sassuolo into selling their attacker.
The report also states that ‘no one apart from Leeds has pushed the deal forward’ for the youngster praised for a ‘magnificent’ 2021/22 campaign by football talent scout Jacek Kulig.
The verdict: Pay up
At the mooted asking price, adding Traore to Jesse Marsch’s squad would be an exceptional piece of business, particularly when you consider the Ivorian’s age and apparent sky-high ceiling.
Generally playing as an inverted left winger onto a favoured right foot, the dynamic forward scored eight times and provided four assists in 31 appearances across all competitions last season and would be the ideal candidate to supplement the options already at Marsch’s disposal, especially with the future of Jack Harrison remaining in the balance amidst links with Newcastle and Tottenham.
Overall last season, Traore earned a 6.90 Sofascore rating whilst successfully completing 2.0 dribbles on average per Serie A outing – that’s more than renowned close control expert Raphinha, who only managed to succeed with 1.8 attempts per league game.
All told, given the levels of interest and the suggested price tag, Victor Orta and indeed Andrea Radrizzani should be pushing hard to make this deal a reality.
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