Leeds United have suffered a blow in their bid to sign an attacking midfielder based in Italy this summer, after Alessandro Nesta was handed the job at a Serie A side on Wednesday.

The Whites are expected to be in the market for a number of new signings this summer with The 49ers admitting that a few will have to leave, in order to balance the books and sort a huge credit card bill.

The likes of Crysencio Summerville, Willy Gnonto, Illan Meslier, Archie Gray and Ilia Gruev have caught the eye among top-tier clubs and a number of moves are expected to take place in the coming months.

For Leeds to remain competitive and push for promotion next season, The Whites need to sell big and make a profit. But to do that, Leeds will have to buy cheap, secure a few loans or even free transfers.

One player Leeds are supposedly interested in signing is Reggiana’s £3.5m-rated midfielder Natan Girma. The 6ft 2in playmaker has impressed in Italy’s second tier during the 2023-24 campaign, scoring six goals.

Leeds of course have since welcomed back Brenden Aaronson despite the American jumping ship last summer to join Union Berlin on loan after relegation, easing the need to bring in a new signing at no.10.

But ‘jewel’ Girma is on the Leeds list with The Whites said have made enquiries and staged talks for the playmaker over the last few months. However, Leeds are not alone in the race to land Girma’s signature.