Leeds United are reportedly in talks to sign defensive midfielder Florentino Luis from Benfica this summer as the Whites look to build a squad capable of competing in the Premier League.

TuttoMercatoWeb report that the Whites met with the player's agent last week to further discuss a move, having originally commenced negotiations back in February, prior to the football season being put on hold.

It is reported that Leeds may have to part with as much €30million in order to land the 20-year-old, however, whilst ESPN revealed back in June that Manchester United were among other clubs also looking at Luis.

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He made ten Liga NOS appearances for the Portuguese giants last season, as well as two in the Champions League, and has attracted more attention since from AC Milan and Real Betis.

Leeds ended their 16 year wait for a return to the Premier League last week as a 4-0 win against Charlton saw them end the season as second-tier champions.

The task now will be to establish themselves back in the top flight.

The verdict

This looks like the sort of signing that would send a real statement to the rest of the league - should Leeds be able to pull it off.

I will not pretend to have watched Florentino Luis play much, or at all, this season but if they were able to beat off interest from AC Milan, Manchester United and Real Betis to land him, it really announces their intentions for the season.

Of course, they need to be careful to ensure that they are not overspending and €30million could well be too much in the current climate. But I think Leeds fans need to trust their board and manager at this stage.

With Ben White frequently filling in in midfield this season, it is clearly an area that needs bolstering.