Leeds United appear to be falling away in the race to sign Senegal international Habib Diarra from Strasbourg during the summer transfer window.
Journalist Ben Jacobs reports that a move to Elland Road for the central midfielder is "unlikely" because of issues in negotiations over personal terms with the player.
Jacobs, as seen in the post above, adds that the Championship champions did put a bid in for him last week, which shows that the Whites are in the market to sign a new central midfielder for Daniel Farke this summer.
Senegal's Ismaila Sarr celebrates with Habib Diarra and Cherif Ndiaye after scoring their first goal
However, that new midfield signing does not look set to be Diarra, given this latest update. That means that Leeds will have to look elsewhere in that position, and that is exactly what they are doing.
Leeds eyeing move for Diarra alternative
With a move for the Strasbourg midfielder on the rocks, the 49ers are now targeting an alternative option to bolster the team in that area of the pitch.
According to Leeds United News, the Whites have looked at a potential deal to sign Raphael Onyedika from Belgian side Club Brugge this summer.
Reporter Graeme Bailey told Leeds United News: “I’ve been told one name who West Ham like is Onyedika at Club Brugge. Leeds have looked at him as well. They want that type of player, that physicality.
“He’s a very good player and it wouldn’t surprise me either. He’s a threat, West Ham are looking at him as a replacement for Soucek. But he’s one player Leeds are looking at, and Leeds have got loads of options.”
Raphael Onyedika
The outlet quotes a price tag of around £26m, £25.6m to be precise, for the 24-year-old talent, but it remains to be seen whether West Ham or Leeds would be willing to pay that much for him.
Why Leeds should sign Raphael Onyedika
The Whites should push to beat the Hammers to his signature before the end of the summer transfer window because he would be an even better signing than Diarra.
Leeds will be battling to avoid relegation from the Premier League next season, given that the last six teams to come up from the Championship have come straight back down, and this means that they should be targeting players who can win duels and compete defensively in tight games.
raphael-onyedika-brugge
This is why Onyedika would be a better signing in midfield for what the Whites need in the middle of the park, because he is a combative midfielder who can make tackles and win duels regularly.
24/25 season Onyedika (Pro League) Diarra (Ligue 1)
Tackles won 26 13
Duels won 120 99
Duel success rate 49% 48%
Interceptions 22 13
Ball recoveries 153 90
Blocks 10 7
Aerial duel success rate 53% 43%
Stats via FotMob
As you can see in the table above, the Nigeria international significantly outperformed Diarra at league level during the 2024/25 campaign when it came to their respective work out of possession.
These statistics suggest that Onyedika is far more effective defensively than the Strasbourg star, as he makes tackles, blocks, recoveries, and interceptions far more frequently than the Senegalese ace does.
This is why the 24-year-old star, who played 51 times in all competitions for Club Brugge this season, would be far more suited to playing in a team that is set to battle against the drop next term.
Therefore, Leeds should push ahead with a deal to sign Onyedika after their move for Diarra stalled, as he could be even better than the Ligue 1 gem due to his excellent defensive attributes.
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Leeds are confident that they will sign this star, and he would be a big upgrade on Brenden Aaronson.