Massimo Cellino's Serie A side Brescia are set to challenge Leeds United for the signing of forward Florian Aye, according to Tuttomercatoweb.

Cellino is the former owner of Leeds and he is interested in hijacking his former club's attempts to lure the Clermont Foot striker to Yorkshire, which was initially reported by Haberturk. Aye was a prolific talent for Clermont Foot last season as he bagged 18 goals in 38 matches for the mid-table Ligue 2 side.

Cellino was Leeds' owner for a controversial three years between 2014 and 2017 before he sold the club to current chief Andrea Radrizzani.

The Italian businessman then returned to his native land in the summer of 2017 and purchased Serie B club Brescia, and he helped them seal promotion to Italy's top tier last season.

They are now reportedly rivalling Leeds' interest in Aye to strengthen their forward line. The striker is 22 years old and joined Clermont Foot on a permanent deal from Auxerre last summer.

The Verdict

Leeds should still feel confident of landing Aye if he remains among their targets, as the lure of working with Marcelo Bielsa is always likely to be a strong influence on any player's decision.

The Whites may well be in desperate need of a striker if Kemar Roofe departs the club, which has been reported as a possibility by Football Insider.

It will be interesting to see how this one plays out, and whether Cellino does indeed come back to haunt Leeds.