Leeds United are currently preparing to fight for promotion from the Championship after they failed to return to the Premier League last season.
The Whites fell at the final hurdle as Adam Armstrong's goal was enough to secure a 1-0 win for Southampton at Wembley in the play-off final in May.
Daniel Farke has lost Crysencio Summerville, Glen Kamara, and Archie Gray since that day, but has also signed Joe Rodon, Joe Rothwell, Jayden Bogle, and Alex Cairns.
Whilst Leeds are looking to bring in players who can come in and make an instant impact on the pitch to bolster their promotion chances, they are also reportedly eyeing up a future star.
Leeds eyeing teenage talent
According to Sky Sports Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg, the Whites are one of the teams eyeing up a deal for Freiburg's "top talent" centre-back Bruno Ogbus.
Farke is keen on a swoop for the teenage central defender to come in and bolster the side's options at the back, even if it is an U21 transfer to begin with, but will have to beat off competition from several other sides.
Italian giants AC Milan have been linked with an interest and had a bid turned down for the defender, whilst Plettenberg adds that Nottingham Forest are also in the race to land his services.
The reporter claims that both Forest and Leeds are monitoring the 18-year-old starlet's situation ahead of a potential swoop for his signature.
If the Whites can win the race for Ogbus, however, then the teenage battler could end up being the club's next version of Dutch ace Pascal Struijk.
Why Ogbus could be Struijk 2.0
Back in 2018, Leeds swooped to sign the defensive talent from Eredivisie giants Ajax on a permanent deal, when he was just 18 at the time.
Struijk only made five league appearances, all of which came in the 2019/20 Championship season, in his first two-and-a-half-years at Elland Road, as he developed in the academy before emerging as a first-team option.
Appearances
23
Pass accuracy
90%
Ball recoveries per game
6.1
Ground duel success rate
61%
Aerial duel success rate
61%
As you can see in the table above, the Dutch defender was a dominant force at the back when fit in the second tier last season, winning the majority of his duels on the deck and in the air.
Ogbus, who does not turn 19 until December, could come in and follow in Struijk's footsteps by initially linking up with the U21 squad and continuing his development in academy football, or by heading out on loan this season.
He played third division football in Germany for Freiburg's reserves last term and ranked within the top 8% of his positional peers in the league for shots blocked per 90 and the top 22% for his percentage of defensive duels won, which speaks to his willingness to put his body on the line.
Imagine him & Gnonto: Leeds in the race to sign "exciting" star
The Whites are reportedly interested in a deal to sign the Premier League defender.
ByDan Emery
The Switzerland U21 international has yet to make his senior debut for Freiburg but could come in as a talented prospect who Leeds could develop over the coming years, following the same path as Struijk.