‘Leeds to have £25.8m Krstovic bid accepted’ with auction now underway

Leeds United could soon complete a sizable deal for Nikola Krstovic.

The Whites have showcased a keen interest in the Montenegro international but face stern competition from across Europe.

This could see Daniel Farke push towards completing a deal, having already missed out on a number of signings at this early stage of the summer.

As a result, it will be music to the German head coach to learn of how much the LS11 club could now pay to land Krstovic ahead of a Premier League return.

Leeds United to pay £25.8m to land Krstovic

Although the Yorkshire outfit had the Championship Golden Boot winner in Joel Piroe last season, the need for a new striker is still apparent.

The lack of top division experience from the Dutchman could represent a concern, especially considering his backup consists of Mateo Joseph and Patrick Bamford.

With that in mind, a swoop at Lecce for the 25-year-old makes total sense, regardless of the level of competition in his signature.

It is clear that the Serie A outfit are resigned to losing the forward, with Gazzetta Dello Sport reporting (4 July, page 44) that Kevin Carlos has emerged as their main striker replacement target.

This looks set to give Leeds United the green light to sign Krstovic, with the starting price now set at £25.8million this summer.

The chances of the Montonegran moving elsewhere in Serie A remain unlikely, while Sporting Lisbon have emerged as a potential suitor alongside the Whites.

Leeds must push hard to sign Krstovic from Lecce

Signing a forward who has contributed to 25 goals across two years in a top division can only be seen as a positive move into what is going to be a tough year.

Nikola Krstovic Lecce career stats

Krstovic will provide a much-needed point of difference for Leeds, something which could benefit the likes of Piroe and Joseph next campaign.

As a result, beating Sporting to his signing has to be seen as a priority, as signing a prolific forward is far from an easy task.

There is every chance that the 25-year-old could be the man for the Whites next season, especially if signed for what is a positive fee in today’s market.