Leeds United have deployed chiefs to watch Strasbourg striker Habib Diallo ahead of a potential move to the Premier League, according to reports.
What's the latest on Diallo's future?
The Whites have Rodrigo out of contract at the end of next season and both Patrick Bamford and Wilfried Gnonto are expected to be sold during the upcoming window should they get relegated, so if that turns out to be the case, Javi Gracia will need to enter the market to find suitable attacking reinforcements, and the 27-year-old has been identified as a potential ideal candidate.
The Senegal international has spent the last three years with Frederic Antonetti's side in Ligue 1 making 98 appearances to date, and his form this season has been particularly eye-catching being the top-performing offensive player and second overall with a WhoScored match rating of 6.97, so despite his contract not expiring until 2025, he's gained himself an admirer in Yorkshire.
According to Football Insider, Leeds are "among" a host of clubs in the Premier League that are "interested" in signing Diallo ahead of the 2023/24 term. The Elland Road outfit are "on the lookout" for a new striker and "sent club scouts" to assess the forward during Strasbourg's 2-1 defeat to Lyon on Friday evening. West Ham United, Leicester City, Crystal Palace, Aston Villa and Burnley, who have already sealed their promotion back to the top-flight, also "dispatched" their chiefs to the same game.
Strasbourg "understand" that it will be a hard task to retain the services of their key player and as a result are "resigned" to losing him should they receive "appropriate" bids during the upcoming window. His agent, Mark McKay, has also been given the green-light by the club to offer him to interested suitors.
Should Leeds submit an offer for Diallo?
Leeds won't yet know how much they'll be able to spend in the summer or exactly how much it will cost to prise Diallo away from Strasbourg, but should a deal be affordable to complete, the hierarchy should definitely table an offer to test the waters with their target having been lauded "quality" by Metz's former coach Vincent Hognon.
Predominantly a centre-forward but also with the versatility to play out wide on both the left and right flanks, the £10k-per-week gem has 17 goals to his name in 32 Ligue 1 appearances this season and has recorded a total of 71 shots since the start of the term which is higher than any other of his fellow teammates, as per FBRef, not to mention that he's also collected four man-of-the-match awards during that time.
Finally, Diallo shares the same agent as Weston McKennie, Adam Forshaw, Brenden Aaronson, Sam Greenwood, Luis Sinisterra and Crysencio Summerville, so this existing representative connection could potentially give the Whites an advantage over their fellow competitors in the race to secure his services this summer.