Leeds in ‘most concrete’ talks for Serie A star moving ‘closer’ to transfer

Erick Pulgar, Christian Kouame TEAMtalk

Leeds are the “most concrete” suitor for wantaway Fiorentina midfielder Erick Pulgar this month, according to a report.

Pulgar was one of the names Leeds looked at as an alternative to Rodrigo De Paul during the summer transfer window. However, they left it too late to bring in either of the Serie A stars.

As their first season back in the Premier League approaches its half-way stage, they are still looking for reinforcements.

Leeds will be happy with their position of 12th in the table, but know there are some things they need to tighten up to make their regained top flight status more comfortable.

Signing a new midfielder remains high on Marcelo Bielsa’s wishlist. Rumours about De Paul have not completely faded, but it seems more probable they will scour the market for other options in January.

The Elland Road outfit can be expected to reignite their pursuit of Pulgar, though. According to La Nazione (via Sport Witness), Leeds have made the “most concrete” contact for the Chile international.


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It is stated that Pulgar is moving “closer to a farewell” after failing to make it onto the pitch in either of Fiorentina’s first two games of 2021.

In fact, the 26-year-old has only started four games in Serie A all season. Since he has fallen out of favour, La Viola will listen to offers for him this winter.

The Serie A side want to make some signings this month. They will only be able to do so, though, by raising funds from sales. Pulgar could be one of the players they sacrifice.

During the summer window, they turned down an approach from Leeds worth in the region of €10m. It is not yet clear whether their asking price has changed.

Midfielder price tag rises

Kouadio Kone TEAMtalk

Pulgar is not the only midfielder Leeds have been linked with in recent weeks. For example, there have also been rumours about Toulouse star Kouadio Kone.

However, the French side have ramped up their asking price for Kone amid reports that AC Milan have also joined the race.

The increased demands may force Leeds to look elsewhere, with Pulgar not having disappeared from their thoughts.

Milan, on the other hand, would still be able to compete for Kone, so Leeds might miss out on their target and be forced to pursue alternatives.

READ MORE: De Paul stance made clear to Leeds as transfer demands are laid out