Leeds United are ready to make a fresh bid to sign FC Porto attacking midfielder Otavio this summer, according to a report from A Bola (via Sport Witness). 

The lowdown: Breeding ground

Portugal has become somewhat of a hotbed for prodigious talent in recent times and Leeds could be set to join a number of Premier League clubs raiding the Primeira Liga.

Captures such as Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez for Liverpool as well as Fabio Vieira to Arsenal are recent examples of English clubs sourcing talent from the Iberian nation, whilst previously both Manchester giants had brought in stars like Bruno Fernandes and Ruben Dias from the Portuguese top flight.

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Now, both Leeds and Aston Villa appear to have identified Otavio as a top target with the Whites seemingly pushing hard to make the deal happen...

The latest: 'Proposal on the way'

As per a newspaper report from A Bola, transcribed by SW, Leeds look set to return with an improved offer after an initial bid was rejected.

It's claimed that a second '€40million (£34million) proposal is on the way' from the Yorkshire club for the Brazil-born seven-cap Portugal ace.

It's been suggested elsewhere that €40million could be enough to get the deal done for the man hailed for an 'absolutely superb' performance against Turkey in the UEFA Nations League by Portuguese football writer Tom Kundert.

The verdict: Make it happen

Despite not being a ready-made replacement for Raphinha in terms of goalscoring, Otavio is a proven high-quality operator who should be regarded as a smart addition to the Elland Road ranks by Jesse Marsch and Victor Orta alike.

Last term, the diminutive 5 foot 6 creator enjoyed his highest return of direct goal involvements since arriving at Porto whilst operating more predominantly in a right-wing role, scoring five times and providing 14 assists in 49 appearances across all competitions.

However, despite the upturn in impact in the final third, Otavio should still be regarded as a versatile option who boasts an abundance of outstanding attacking attributes and not the like-for-like successor to Raphinha.

Coveted in the past by the likes of Liverpool, this signing would be of huge benefit to Marsch's options and Andrea Radrizzani would be spending money wisely to bring such a talent to Yorkshire.