Leeds United lining up £27m bid for Lazio defender Luiz Felipe?

Leeds United are reportedly preparing a £27m bid for Lazio defender Luiz Felipe.

Marcelo Bielsa's side are in the market for a new centre-back ahead of their return to the Premier League after seeing their hopes of re-signing Ben White on a permanent deal ended by Brighton & Hove Albion's refusal to sell to a top-flight rival.

Italian outlet La Lazio Siamo Noi claims that the Championship winners have now set their sights on Felipe, with talks accelerating recently.

The report suggests that Leeds are lining up a €30m (£26.9m) bid for the 23-year-old - a fee which would fall narrowly short of the recently-broken club-record signing which saw Rodrigo join from Valencia in a £27m deal.

However, Lazio are expected to reject that first approach and have told the Whites that it will take an offer of closer to £34m to prise Felipe away from the Stadio Olimpico.

Felipe, who has previously been linked with Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona, made 30 appearances for Lazio in all competitions last season.