Victor Orta could unearth his next Raphinha as Leeds make move for £22m "explosion" - opinion

Leeds United have made a move to bring Hamed Junior Traore to Elland Road in the summer transfer window.

That’s according to Giovanni Carnevali, with the Sassuolo chief revealing in a recent interview with Italian publication Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness) that Victor Orta has now made a request to sign the versatile forward, for whom the Serie A club are reported to be demanding a figure of around €25m (£22m) this summer.

When asked about the interest surrounding the 22-year-old, Carnevali said: “We have received a request [from Leeds], but I repeat, we will not sell all of [our most valuable players].”

Considering just how impressive Traore was for Sassuolo last season, and with the Whites’ current star forward Raphinha looking certain to move onto pastures new this summer, it is not difficult to understand why Orta is keen on a deal to bring the Ivory Coast international to Elland Road ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

Indeed, over his 31 Serie A appearances for Alessio Dionisi’s team last season, the £26m-rated talent was in fantastic form. He scored seven goals, registered four assists and created six big chances for his team-mates, along with taking 1.6 shots, making 1.2 key passes and completing two dribbles per game.

Furthermore, according to FBRef data, the £15k-per-week attacker ranks in the top 18% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s big five leagues and European competitions for non-penalty goals per 90, as well as the top 24% for shots, the top 11% for progressive carries, the top 16% for progressive passes and the top 13% for dribbles completed over the last 365 days.

Further still, the player who Alessandro Dal Canto dubbed an “explosion” also impresses in defensive metrics, with