How Leeds could seal an even better signing than Charles

Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke wants to add to his options in the middle of the park before the summer transfer window slams shut at the start of September.

The German manager has set his sights on a deal for Southampton central midfielder Shea Charles after his club failed to secure promotion to the Premier League, thanks to the Spygate saga.

Leeds were hoping to take advantage of their misfortune to snap up the Northern Ireland international, making two offers of up to £23m for the youngster, but they have been unable to strike an agreement.

It now remains to be seen whether or not the West Yorkshire outfit will decide to go back in with a third attempt to bring the former Manchester City man to Elland Road this summer.

Charles has yet to play a minute of football in one of Europe’s major leagues and the club may not want to risk paying over the odds for a player who is unproven at the top level.

Leeds United are in talks to sign Serie A star

The 22-year-old star, who scored four goals in 33 games in the Championship last season, has potential, but has yet to prove himself in a major league.

That is why the club may be better off focusing on another target who could arrive in West Yorkshire as an even better option for Farke for next season.

According to Monday’s edition of Gazzetta dello Sport, as relayed by Sport Witness, Leeds United are interested in a deal to sign Parma central midfielder Mandela Keita in the summer transfer window.

The report claims that the Whites have made contact to open talks with the Serie A club over a potential move to bring the Belgian talent to Elland Road in the coming weeks.

It adds that Parma are looking to cash in on a couple of their star players in order to pursue further signings of their own, and that they are prepared to accept an offer of around £26m for Keita.

Now, it is down to the board to thrash out a deal with Palma in these ongoing talks before agreeing personal terms with the player to make him their latest addition to the squad.

Why Mandela Keita would be better for Leeds than Shea Charles

As much as Charles is an exciting talent currently playing in England, Leeds must push to sign Keita instead because he would be an even better signing for the club in the here and now.

The 24-year-old star, who is only two years older than the Southampton midfielder, is currently playing in the Serie A with Parma and has shown that he can deliver consistently impressive displays in one of Europe’s major leagues.

In fact, his performances in the Italian top-flight last term were even more eye-catching than what Charles produced for the Saints in the second tier of English football.

Their respective statistics at league level last term suggest that Keita would be far more effective for Leeds as a defensive option in the middle of the park, as he was more active and more efficient in his defending whilst also playing at a higher level.

The Belgian ace ranked within the top 8% of midfielders in the division for defensive contributions (160), the top 4% for tackles won (76), the top 8% for ball recoveries (154), and the top 2% for interceptions (44), which speaks to his quality off the ball.

He is an all-action midfielder, like Charles, and has proven himself to be effective at getting across the pitch to make key interventions for his side on a regular basis in the Serie A.

It is not just out of possession where he provides quality, though, as Keita also ranked in the top 5% of his positional peers in the Serie A for successful dribbles (29) and the top 13% for dribble success rate (64.4%).

The Leeds target is a complete midfielder who offers qualities on and off the ball in the middle of the park and would be a terrific addition to the squad as a player who has already proven himself in Italy.

Charles, meanwhile, has not proven himself at the same level or with the same quality of performances. Given that Leeds have already had an offer of £23m rejected for him, paying £26m for Keita seems like the better deal for Leeds.