Talks underway: Leeds closing in on "silky" £10.8m-rated gem, Bielsa will be buzzing - opinion

Leeds United have finally got their man, although there’s a catch…

According to TEAMtalk, the Yorkshire outfit are confident in tying up a deal for no.1 target Brenden Aaronson ahead of the January transfer window deadline on Monday.

Director of football Victor Orta has been in Europe for talks with RB Salzburg over a potential deal this week.

However, the Whites have accepted the fact that they may have to wait until the summer to actually get him to Elland Road with the Austria Bundesliga champions keen to keep hold of him ahead of their Champions League clash with Bayern Munich.

A deal could be agreed now ahead of the summer window.

So whilst it seems as if manager Marcelo Bielsa isn’t going to get the midfield reinforcement he desperately needs right now, it does appear as if he’ll land his main target after all.

Leeds were left frustrated in their attempts to sign him, having seen two bids of £15m and £20m swiftly knocked back. Both of those fees would have seen Salzburg earn their third most expensive sale ever, so that goes to show how much they value him right now.

Aaronson is a hugely exciting and versatile attacking midfielder capable of providing goals and assists in the final third.

Indeed, the 21-year-old dynamo has delivered three goals and seven assists across all competitions this season, including vital goals in the Champions League, beating Brondby to make the group stages, where they have since advanced from.

Capped 15 times by the USMNT, Aaronson could be one of the brightest talents to emerge from the other side of the pond since Christian Pulisic.

He has been nicknamed the ‘Medford Messi’, compared to American great Clint Dempsey and been described as “silky” on the ball by ex-MLS star DeMarcus