Orta in talks with agent: Leeds fighting to sign 'exceptionally gifted' centre-back - journalist

Leeds United face a battle with as many as five Premier League clubs for the signature of transfer target Florian Grillitsch, The Daily Mail’s Simon Jones reports.

The Telegraph’s Mike McGrath reported that Leeds are monitoring Grillitsch ahead of the summer transfer window and named Arsenal and Everton as competitors.

The Hoffenheim man is out of contract at the end of the season, so he’ll be available on a free transfer.

Grillitsch, 26, has previously been a defensive midfielder but he’s mostly been operating as a centre-back, having played there for 12 of his 18 appearances season.

Rated at £14.4million by Transfermarkt, he’s racked up 33 caps for Austria, including three at last summer’s European Championships, so would seemingly be quite the capture for an English club on a Bosman deal.

In addition to Arsenal and Everton, Jones writes that Newcastle United and West Ham United are rivalling Leeds too.

The player’s representatives have initiated talks with clubs across England, Germany and Spain, so Victor Orta may already be negotiating the right salary offer.

The Whites have expressed their interest in the belief that Grillitsch could be a replacement for Kalvin Phillips, whom they expect could leave this summer.

With so many clubs coveting the player, it could come down to who offers the most attractive contract package – so should Orta be willing to pay Grillitsch a hefty salary?

Well, he’s a player with plenty of strings to bow, ranking in the 78th percentile or better (compared to other midfielders in the big five leagues) for progressive passes, progressive carries, interceptions and clearances.

As a midfielder, the numbers suggest he’s in the same mould as Liverpool’s Fabinho and Barcelona’s Sergio Busquets,