Leeds United have been boosted in their efforts to sign Rodrigo De Paul this summer, with Udinese manager Luca Gotti admitting he could move on.

Marcelo Bielsa will no doubt be looking at possible reinforcements at the end of the season, as he looks to take his side up a further gear.

Leeds have enjoyed a productive first year back in the Premier League, currently sitting 12th in the table and rarely looking relegation-threatened at any point.

The next step for the Whites may be to finish in the European places next season, but some new faces will be required if that is to happen.

Udinese boss fails to rule out De Paul exit

De Paul is one player who has been linked with a move to Leeds, with Liverpool also believed to be interested in snapping up the 26-year-old.

In an interview with DAZN [via TEAMtalk], Gotti, the Argentine's manager at Udinese, was asked about the midfielder's future and failed to rule out an exit:

“De Paul has been here for five years. Every time he gets his head down and works harder than ever before. We’ll eventually sit down and work out a common strategy [on his future].

“He is mentally so strong as he goes on international duty with Argentina. He shares a locker room with players from Barcelona, Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain. Yet every time he comes back here and works harder than anyone.

“You couldn’t blame him for being tempted (by a move away). Alongside the growth of the player, which everyone has been able to witness on the pitch, I also saw De Paul grow as a person over the last two years.

“He has this leadership within the squad that comes from a place of positivity. There are different ways to be a leader, some are authoritarian. But he has this sort of halo of positivity that spreads out and envelops everyone around him.”

Transfer Tavern take

De Paul could be an outstanding addition to Leeds's midfield, possessing the all-round game to excel under Bielsa. He has scored six goals and registered five assists in Serie A this season, also averaging 1.2 tackles per game, showing he is effective on and off the ball.

At 26, he is very much in the peak years of his career, too, so bringing him in this summer could represent a long-term signing, rather than a short-term fix.

In other news, one Leeds player has been tipped to leave Elland Road this summer. Read about who it is here.