It could be a busy summer of transfer business, in the window that officially opens later this month, for Leeds United after they failed to earn promotion from the Championship.
Daniel Farke's side were not able to secure a top two finish to automatically move up to the Premier League and had to go through the play-offs.
The Whites beat their manager's former club, Norwich, 4-0 on aggregate over two legs before falling short at the final hurdle as they were beaten 1-0 by Southampton at Wembley in the play-off final last month.
Farke is now at risk of losing some of his key performers from the 2023/24 campaign as teams from around Europe are said to be circling around.
German giants Bayern Munich have been linked with an interest in teen starlet Archie Gray, Wilfried Gnonto is reportedly keen on a move to Italy, and star winger Crysencio Summerville has been linked with Premier League side Liverpool.
The Yorkshire-based outfit could, therefore, need to dip into the market over the next couple of months to sign replacements for their stars in order to ensure that their squad is not significantly weakened heading into next season.
Leeds United's interest in Eredivisie star
According to Voetbal International, as relayed by Voetbal Zone, Leeds are one of a number of clubs lining up a deal to sign Excelsior forward Couhaib Driouech, as Farke looks to bolster his attacking options.
The report claims that Sevilla and PSV are also in the running to sign the 22-year-old star, with around ten clubs interested in the talented young whiz.
This suggests that there is plenty of competition for the former Heerenveen youngster's signature, which could make this a difficult deal for the Whites to get over the line.
They may have to convince the player to drop down to the second tier amid interest from teams in top divisions across Europe, including Sevilla in LaLiga.
The outlet states that Driouech would like to sign for PSV but the Dutch giants have only offered a fee of around €2m (£1.7m) and that is significantly lower than Excelsior's valuation of the midfield maestro.
It reveals that the Eredivisie outfit are looking for a fee of up to €4m (£3.4m) to allow their star performer to move on from the club this summer, which is double what the league champions have offered so far.
Leeds could, though, secure their next version of Crysencio Summerville by landing a deal for the exciting winger by bringing in another talented wizard from the Netherlands.
Leeds United's Crysencio Summerville masterclass
Former Whites sporting director Victor Orta reportedly splashed out a fee of just £1.3m to sign the teenage talent from Dutch giants Feyenoord in the summer of 2021.
Summerville had not made a single first-team appearance for the club by that point but had scored five goals and provided one assist in 18 games on loan with FC Dordrecht in the second tier.
Leeds gambled on his potential and the winger eventually became a regular first-team operator during the 2022/23 campaign as he made 28 appearances in the Premier League and chipped in with four goals and two assists.
The 22-year-old whiz then enjoyed his full breakthrough season as a star for the Whites with his terrific performances in the Championship this season.
He won the division's Player of the Season award for his fantastic efforts down the left flank, as the Dutch magician showcased his quality as a scorer and a creator of goals.
Sofascore rating
7.79
1st
Goals
19
1st
Assists
9
2nd
xA
12.53
1st
Big chances created
17
2nd
Key passes per game
2.6
1st
As you can see in the table above, Summerville was one of the best, if not the best, Leeds players in a variety of key attacking metrics for scoring and creating in the final third.
The right-footed star proved that he has what it takes to be a constant threat to the opposition as he can score goals on a regular basis and create high-quality opportunities for his teammates to find the back of the net.
However, the ex-Feyenoord whiz only registered nine assists from 17 'big chances' created and 12.53 xA, which suggests that his teammates let him down at times with their wasteful finishing.
Why Couhaib Driouech could be Crysencio Summerville 2.0
Firstly, Leeds could repeat the masterclass they played with Summerville by landing a £3.4m deal to sign Driouech from Excelsior, as they would be dipping into the Dutch market to land another exciting young talent.
Like the current Whites star, the 22-year-old wizard is a talented winger who likes to score and create goals from a left wing position for his side.
The Moroccan dynamo racked up six goals and six assists in 24 starts in the Eredivisie this season, which is one goal contribution every other start on average.
He did not fire in 19 goals like Summerville did for Leeds but the youngster did play for a side that finished 16th in the division and won six games all term.
Whereas, the Whites finished third in the Championship with 27 wins and Driouech could, therefore, have more opportunities to showcase his attacking talent and improve his output by playing in a more dominant team at Elland Road.
Expected Assisted Goals
0.30
0.27
Assists
0.23
0.28
Shot-creating actions
6.10
3.42
Progressive carries
5.04
5.77
Successful take-ons
2.52
2.81
As you can see in the table above, the £3.4m-rated ace still managed to assist goals more frequently than Summerville and provided more as a carrier and dribbler of the ball in transition.
He is, therefore, an exciting talent who could be an excellent signing for Leeds as a replacement for the Dutchman, should a move away from Yorkshire materialise over the coming weeks and months.
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Driouech is a winger who has shown that he has the potential to be a scorer and creator of goals at an impressive rate from a left wing position, and Leeds could now find their next star from the Eredivisie by swooping for him this summer.