Leeds United are looking to reinforce their midfield
James Smailes Head of All Out Rugby League and Yorkshire sport at Reach plc
05:00, 11 Jul 2026
Parma's Mandela Keita has been linked with Aston Villa
View Image
Parma's Mandela Keita has been linked with Aston Villa
Leeds United's plans to reinforce their midfield got off to a great start this week with the addition of Wales international Harry Wilson on a free transfer. The former Fulham player is a quality addition to the squad, with picking him up for free making the deal even sweater for the Whites.
Wilson will give Leeds something extra out wide, but Daniel Farke is also intent on strengthening in the middle of the park. Leeds have had two offers for Southampton's Shea Charles knocked back as they continue to explore their options.
One of those options is understood to be Parma's defensive midfielder Mandela Keita. Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport claims ‘negotiations have begun’ for the Parma player, who they reckon is ‘highly regarded’ in the Premier League.
Priced around €30m, it puts him in the same valuation as Charles, but with Param said to be happy to sell for the right price, it could be a deal that is easier to get done. The trouble for Leeds is, they are not alone in their interest with Aston Villa also linked.
Now, Villa may have to quickly step up their search for a midfielder after news out of the World Cup.
Villa's defensive midfielder Amadou Onana has been ruled out of the World Cup and even worse, the first half of the new season with an ACL injury, with the Belgium international not due back until perhaps the spring of 2027.
It leaves Villa even more eager to get a new man in, with Keita on their shopping list.
FOLLOW OUR LUFC FACEBOOK PAGE!Latest news, analysis and more on our Leeds United FB page
Article continues below
Here at LeedsLive, we are dedicated to bringing you the bestLeeds Unitedcoverage and analysis. Make sure you don't miss out on the latest Leeds news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clickinghereto subscribe. You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Clickhereto be sent all the day's biggest stories.