Leeds can sign Kamara replacement in £15m-rated "box-crashing threat" (2024)

Leeds United will pray that they can get over their playoff jinx this coming Sunday, knowing that they're just one nerve-wracking game away from soaring back up to the Premier League.

The Whites have never tasted success in the form of promotion from their past five playoff campaigns, always coming unstuck in the lottery that knockout format can be, with their most recent exit coming in 2019 at the semi-final stages courtesy of Frank Lampard's Derby County.

This curse could be lifted at Wembley this weekend, however, with the Whites wanting to press on with multiple incomings through the door if promotion is dramatically sealed against Southampton.

Leeds could ambitiously get a deal over the line for this Glen Kamara replacement if Premier League football does return to West Yorkshire, with the target in question a familiar face to Wilfried Gnonto already.

Leeds' search for a midfielder

Leeds would show they mean business after clinching a return to the top-flight by signing AS Roma star Edoardo Bove, with the 22-year-old making waves in the first-team at Roma this season under the tutelage of former midfield brute turned boss, Daniele De Rossi.

A report earlier in May from Giallorossi.net first hinted at the promotion-chasers being interested in the services of Bove, with a further update from TEAMTalk in the past few days claiming that scouts from Leeds were in the Italian capital watching the midfielder recently.

Failing to hold down a consistent first-team spot in the latter stages of the Serie A campaign despite impressing, with a number of cameos off the bench limiting Bove to 30 appearances in the league, Leeds know they would have to win promotion still in order to get the Italian to sign on the dotted line and join in the summer.

Valued at a high £15m, according to Football Transfers, the 5 foot 10 midfielder would certainly be a statement signing and a switch he could welcome to play alongside former Italy U21 teammate Gnonto in England.

How Bove would suit Leeds

Described as being a "box-crashing threat" by football analyst Ben Mattinson during his rise at the Stadio Olimpico, Bove might well forcibly take Kamara's spot in the Leeds first-team off him if signed, with Bove giving the Whites more grit and tenacity centrally to try and compete and battle better in the higher-up division.

Equally given glowing praise by former Roma manager Jose Mourinho for always "giving everything", Leeds fans would take no time at all to grow fond of Bove's commitment levels for his new team if signed.

The Roma number 52 would win five ground duels on the final day of Serie A action against Genoa, on top of being fouled four times, as a tenacious presence in the middle of the park that Leeds could well desire when up against it in the top division.

Excelling more in the combative elements of a midfielder's game compared to Kamara, as can be seen above, the 22-year-old would be a worthwhile signing to make in order to make the Whites more forceful as opposed to passive in the middle of the park next season.

Gruev can always take over the reins from Kamara with his similarly measured approach on the ball - with the Bulgarian misplacing just two passes in Leeds' second leg success over Norwich City recently - as Bove then slots into the team nicely next to the ex-Werder Bremen man.

Leeds will know giving time to raw Italian gems can work, seen in Gnonto's nine goals this season for Daniel Farke's men, and so will hope this approach is successful again in swooping for the lively 22-year-old.