Leeds have entered the race to sign the £17m+ star

Leeds United are reportedly chasing a player who could land at Elland Road as their biggest ever summer transfer window signing.

The Whites are interested in a deal to bring Sporting defender Ousmane Diomande to West Yorkshire for £39m, which will top the £35.5m they paid Hoffenheim for Georginio Rutter in January 2023.

Although the transfer has not been made and cleared in any way, the club is said to have already agreed terms with the Ivory Coast star before his departure.

The 22-year-old has won the Liga Portugal in two of the last three seasons with Sporting, but made just 17 league appearances in the 2025/26 campaign, as they finished second behind Porto.

Diomande, however, started seven of nine Champions League games for the Portuguese giants, and will arrive at Elland Road as a player with more experience at the top level.

Leeds United are entering the race to sign the Serie A star

Although the £39m talent has played in the Champions League, the defender has never played in Europe’s biggest leagues and it remains to be seen how he can adapt to playing at the highest level in domestic football.

Now, the club are reportedly eyeing another defender who could be even better for Daniel Farke’s side than the Ivorian colossus.

According to SportsBoom, Leeds United have entered the race to sign Parma defender Mariano Troilo in the upcoming summer transfer window.

The report claims that Premier League rivals Fulham and Brighton are both expected to make offers of up to £17m for the defender, but that is unlikely to be enough to secure his services.

He also added that the Whites, along with Brentford, are also monitoring his situation and may take steps to bring the Argentine star to England at the start of the season.

SportsBoom reveal, however, that Parma will want more than £17m for the 22-year-old talent, and it remains to be seen if Leeds are ready to make a bid for him.

Why Leeds should sign Mariano Troilo instead of Ousmane Diomande

Instead of shelling out a club-record transfer fee to sign Diomande from Sporting, Leeds should push to win the race for Troilo ahead of Fulham, Brighton and Brentford.

Unlike the Sporting star, the Argentine defender has experience in one of Europe’s biggest leagues, having played in Serie A for the 2025/26 campaign.

On top of that, Troilo’s defense in Italy’s top flight has been far better than Diomande’s in the Portuguese division this season.

The Argentine star has produced better defensive numbers than the Sporting defender in many key metrics, especially when it comes to winning duels against opposing attackers.

Football in the Premier League is incredibly physical and defenders need to be strong players who can hold their own in duels, which is why Diomande’s 38% success rate in ground competitions this season is cause for concern.

Troilo, however, won 56% of his ground duels and 63% of his aerial contests in Serie A for Parma, suggesting he has the mobility and physicality to be an outstanding defender for Farke at Leeds.

Meanwhile, both players have lost the ball five times or less per game in the league this season, less than any Leeds defender, and this shows that both are incredibly well-built on the ball and could suit Farke’s football-dominating style of play.

Leeds must aim to kick and push European football into the Premier League next season, which is why they need to strengthen their squad.

Signing Troilo ahead of Diomande, due to his superior defensive skills and experience in a major European league, would be a good first step to improve the team for the coming term.