How can Leeds seal a better signing than Charles

Leeds United boss Daniel Farke is looking to add to his options in the middle of the park before the summer transfer window closes in early September.

The Germany manager is eyeing a deal for Southampton midfielder Shea Charles after his side failed to gain promotion to the Premier League, due to the Spygate scandal.

Leeds had hoped to capitalize on their bad luck to land the Northern Ireland international, making two bids worth up to £23m for the youngster, but were unable to strike a deal.

It now remains to be seen whether the West Yorkshire outfit will decide to go back for a third attempt to bring the former Manchester City man to Elland Road this summer.

Charles has yet to play a minute of football in one of Europe’s major leagues and the club may not want to risk paying the odds for an unproven player at the top level.

Leeds United are in talks to sign the Serie A star

The 22-year-old star, who scored four goals in 33 Championship games last season, has it, but has yet to prove it in the big leagues.

That’s why the club would be better off focusing on another level that could land in West Yorkshire as Farke’s best option next season.

According to Monday’s edition of Gazzetta dello Sport, as relayed by Sport Witness, Leeds United are interested in signing Parma midfielder Mandela Keita in the summer transfer window.

The report claims that the Whites have contacted them to open talks with the Serie A side about bringing the Belgian talent to Elland Road in the coming weeks.

It adds that Parma are looking to cash in on several of their star players in pursuit of their signature, and that they are willing to accept an offer of around £26m for Keita.

Now, it is down to the board to strike a deal with Palma in these ongoing negotiations before agreeing personal terms with the player to make him their latest addition to the squad.

Why Mandela Keita would be better for Leeds than Shea Charles

With Charles being the exciting talent currently playing in England, Leeds must aim to sign Keita instead because he will be signing for the best club here and now.

The 24-year-old star, just two years older than the Southampton midfielder, is currently playing in Serie A with Parma and has shown that he can deliver impressive performances in one of Europe’s biggest leagues.

In fact, his performances in Italy’s top flight last term attracted more attention than what Charles produced for the Saints in the second tier of English football.

Their stats at league level last term suggest that Keita will be more successful for Leeds as a defensive option in the middle of the park, as he was active and efficient in defense while playing at a high level.

The Belgian ace ranks among the top 8% of midfielders in the category of defensive tackles (160), top 4% for wins (76), top 8% for ball possessions (154), and top 2% for interceptions (44), which speaks to his quality off the ball.

He is a do-it-all midfielder, like Charles, and has proven successful in getting up the pitch to make key interventions for his team on a regular basis in Serie A.

It’s not just that he’s out there providing quality, however, as Keita also ranks in the top 5% of his peers in Serie A for successful dribbling (29) and the top 13% for dribble success rate (64.4%).

The Leeds target is a complete midfielder who offers qualities on and off the ball in the middle of the park and would be a great addition to the squad as a player who has proven himself in Italy.

Charles, on the other hand, doesn’t show up at the same level or level of play. Given that Leeds have already had a £23m offer rejected for him, paying £26m for Keita seems like the better deal for Leeds.