Leeds United enter transfer race for 40-cap international right-back | OneFootball

The Yorkshire club have extended their search for full-back reinforcements into the French league

Leeds United are interested in Montpellier and Mali international right-back Falaye Sacko as they look for defensive reinforcements this summer.

That is according to a report from Africa Foot, who claim that the Whites - as well as Crystal Palace and other European teams - are keen on the 29-year-old coming to Elland Road.

Sacko, whose contract with the French club is set to run until 2026, played 19 times in Ligue 1 for Montpellier last season, as well as 40 times in his career for Mali.

The 29-year-old has a strong pedigree in European football, and that means Leeds are not the only club thought to admire the Mali international.

A move for Sacko would go some way to addressing a longstanding lack of depth at full-back for the Championship side, with Archie Gray - who played at right-back quite a bit last season under Farke - moving on to Tottenham.

Both Crystal Palace and Russian side FK Khimki are the other two named admirers, meaning the Whites may need to table a strong offer to rival the chance to play Premier League football.

Competition doesn't end there, however, as there are believed to be teams in France, Italy and Turkey weighing up the prospect of bringing Sacko in.

Falaye Sacko's European experience could be an asset for Leeds United

Sacko is likely to be a relatively unknown quantity to many in England but, having plied his trade in the top tiers of France and Portugal and competing in the Europa League, he would arrive at Elland Road with a solid base of experience.

His position has seen him come up against the likes of Kylian Mbappe. Although it has rarely been a positive experience for Sacko, it has exposed the full-back to a level of opposition far higher than he would find in the Championship with Leeds.

He has also collected 40 caps for Mali, facing footballing heavyweights at the Africa Cup of Nations. He has a wealth of experience at the elite levels of both European and African football, so he is ready-made to slot into the often tense environment of Elland Road.

It's no secret that Daniel Farke's side are light on full-backs. Last season saw young academy product Archie Gray shifted away from midfield and out to right-back for the majority of the campaign to cover gaps.

Even that solution won't be available to Daniel Farke next term, with the 18-year-old having completed a deal worth an estimated £40million in total to move to Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur.

It would appear sensible for the Yorkshire club to direct at least some of those funds to a replacement at full-back and Sacko looks a fairly strong candidate.

As with any signing from abroad, how he adjusts to English football would have a strong bearing on how successful a signing he would be, but he has a strong track record of facing some of the world's best talent.

If Leeds can beat off the competition, then it could be a shrewd investment by the club, and his lack of notoriety in English circles could play to the club's advantage in getting a cheaper deal.