Montenegro international forward Nikola Krstovic is reportedly in talks with AS Roma, according to La Repubblica.
Leeds were named by Italian media outlets as having offered in the region of £25 million for the Lecce striker who had a hand in 16 Serie A goals last season.
The YEP understands United have not made an approach for the 25-year-old who is not a target for Elland Road chiefs in their ongoing pursuit of a centre-forward.
It was suggested Leeds' name and non-descript 'Premier League interest' had been used by Italian media to cajole interested Serie A clubs into acting.
Now, it appears Roma have been in touch with the player's representatives, reportedly agreeing personal terms over a transfer.
Krstovic's preference has always been to remain in Italy, according to the same outlets who linked Leeds with a big-money move. The player was pictured in a Roma training shirt on his personal Instagram story earlier this month, although the post was later deleted.
La Repubblica claim Lecce president Sticchi Damiani has increased his asking price to €40 million, which could prove an issue for capital club Roma.
Krstovic scored 11 and assisted a further five goals for the Serie A club last season, almost single-handedly ensuring the unfancied Lecce remained in the division. The team only managed to find the net 27 times in total throughout the campaign, meaning Krstovic scored or assisted 59 per cent of their goals.
Leeds striker situation
Leeds remain in the market for a striker despite the arrival of Lukas Nmecha on a free transfer. Daniel Farke's forward ranks now include Nmecha, last season's Championship Golden Boot winner Joel Piroe, Patrick Bamford, Mateo Joseph and Harry Gray. The latter is expected to feature predominantly for the Under-21s next term, while Bamford and Joseph's respective futures at Elland Road are uncertain.
United are prepared to spend what is required to land their top striking targets. However, the club will still seek to negotiate smartly with selling clubs as simply meeting a team's asking price for the calibre of player Leeds are targeting would take a sizeable chunk out of their budget.
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