Orta could unearth the next Cantona as Leeds make contact for "complete" £13m starlet - opinion

Leeds United are interested in a deal to bring Sekou Mara to Elland Road in the summer transfer window.

That’s according to a report by the Mail on Sunday (via Leeds Live), who claim that Victor Orta has made contact with FC Girondins Bordeaux regarding a deal for the 19-year-old centre-forward – for whom the recently relegated French side are believed to be demanding a figure in the region of €15m (£13m) plus add-ons in order to part with this summer.

The report goes on to state that the likes of Newcastle United, AS Monaco and Olympique Lyonnais are also keeping a very close eye on the situation of the France U20 international ahead of a potential move of their own, while Leeds Live suggest Orta could view Mara as an alternative for both Club Brugge’s Charles De Ketelaere and Paris Saint-Germain’s Arnaud Kalimuendo.

Considering the sheer amount of potential Mara undoubtedly possesses, it is not difficult to understand why Orta would be keen on a deal to bring the 19-year-old to Elland Road ahead of the Whites’ 2022/23 Premier League campaign.

Indeed, over his 26 Ligue 1 appearances last season – only eight of which came as starts – the £2.7m-rated talent highly impressed, scoring six goals – an average of one every 151 minutes – and creating one big chance for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.5 shots – 0.7 of which hit the target – making 0.3 key passes and completing 0.4 dribbles per game.

These returns saw the 19-year-old who Jacek Kulig dubbed a “complete” attacker average an eye-catching SofaScore match rating of 6.77, with the youngster being one of the few bright sparks in a campaign that saw Bordeaux finish rock-bottom of the table.

Furthermore, the teenager was also in extremely fine form over