Leeds United intend to step up their interest in Club Brugge forward Charles De Ketelaere once Raphinha seals an Elland Road exit, according to Phil Hay.

The Lowdown: Raphinha to Barcelona?

The 25-year-old has remained in England to resolve his future while his team-mates jetted to Australia for a pre-season tour on Sunday. It seems as if his preferred move to Barcelona is finally gathering pace, with journalist Ben Jacobs believing that a deal close to €75m (£63.4m) has been agreed by the two clubs.

In a story for The Athletic on Monday, Hay reported that talks have significantly progressed between the two clubs, although a fee is yet to be agreed.

The Latest: De Ketelaere interest

The Leeds correspondent added for The Athletic that the club ‘intend to step up their interest’ in De Ketelaere once Raphinha is sold.

Hay said that the Whites ‘are ready to pay around £30m’ for the 21-year-old, who is their top target when it comes to a new forward.

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The Verdict: Need to act fast

Leeds are obviously planning to move for De Ketelaere, but it could be too little too late due to interest from AC Milan.

Fabrizio Romano revealed on Monday evening that the Italian giants are ‘progressing in talks’ and are ‘confident’ of signing the Belgium international, who is keen on a move to the San Siro.

Therefore, Leeds may potentially have to show their hand prior to Raphinha’s sale in order to have a slight chance of signing the versatile forward, who was hailed as a player with ‘stunning’ technical qualities.