Leeds United’s talks with Paris Saint-Germain for striker Arnaud Kalimuendo are ‘intensifying’, with an initial €22m fee mooted.

The Lowdown: Striker hunt

Six new players have been brought to Elland Road this summer at a combined cost of £95m. The Whites don’t want to stop there, though, with a new forward on the radar ahead of Jesse Marsch’s first full season in charge while they also seem to be moving in on versatile midfielder/attacker Sonny Perkins.

Club Brugge’s Charles De Ketelaere and Kalimuendo have both been heavily linked as potential targets for the striker spot, and it looks as if the club may be pursuing the latter of the two with the former preferring AC Milan over Leeds.

The Latest: Transfer update

According to reliable French outlet L'Equipe, Leeds are now pushing to sign Kalimuendo in a deal worth €25m (£21.1m). The report cites an initial fee of €22m (£18.7m) with three fixed bonuses included.

The Whites will have to ‘convince’ Kalimuendo over an Elland Road move once an agreement is reached, with Inter Milan also name-checked with an interest.

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The Verdict: Time ticking

Victor Orta has acted fast this summer, however, the club’s pursuit of a striker is starting to drag. It looks as if the club were holding out for De Ketelaere but have now moved on to Kalimuendo, so they can't afford a similar slip-up with the latter as the season opener looms ever closer.

The 20-year-old is much more than a striker as he can also play in a deeper role or on the wing, and ranks in the 99th percentile for forwards across Europe's top five leagues when it comes to passing success rate (82.6%), showing excellent composure in the final third.

Therefore, a transfer worth a total of £21.1m could be a smart move and one that may strike the perfect balance between natural number nines Patrick Bamford and Joe Gelhardt in attack.