Leeds are close to announcing a new first-team signing.

Yes, you read that right, the Whites are looking to strengthen the senior squad for a change.

Marcelo Bielsa's men have been active in the window since being promoted to the Premier League but the vast majority of acquisitions they've made have all been for the academy. 

Illan Meslier and Jack Harrison have arrived but they were at the club last term. Aside from that, each new signing has been a young player, one that will presumably ply their trade in the academy for a while.

Things began with Charlie Allen, a 16-year-old from Linfield, before a rising star of the EFL, Joe Gelhardt, put pen to paper.

Cody Drameh has also arrived from Fulham. It would appear that Victor Orta has his eyes set on improving the academy before they think about the first-team.

He will, of course, be working on a number of deals and it looks like he is close to striking one for someone who will go straight into the first-team picture.

Radrizzani and Orta

Reports from Brazil this week (UOL), claim that Basel striker Arthur Cabral is on the verge of joining Leeds, with just a matter of a few finer details to be ironed out.

Consequently, the player's agent is now flying to Europe to help conclude the transfer.

UOL suggests that Leeds have offered €18m (£16.2m) which would be €15m upfront with €3m in performance bonuses. 

However, Basel are hoping to secure a fee of €20m (£18m) instead for Cabral's services. 

The 22-year-old is keen on playing in the Premier League so there shouldn't be too many obstacles in finalising terms. 

Arthur Cabral

GIVEMESPORT'S Matt Dawson says...

Leeds have been linked with a number of strikers in the transfer window so far. Whether it be Ollie Watkins, Michy Batshuayi or Divock Origi, the vast majority of targets have been domestic.

Cabral, therefore, is completely different. He is currently playing in Switzerland and enjoyed a fabulous 2019/20 campaign.

The forward racked up 18 goals and six assists in 39 outings - two of those strikes even came in Europe. 

That is an instant upgrade on Patrick Bamford but there are some areas of concern when it comes to Cabral. 

Arthur Cabral

That lies in his ability to pass the ball.

According to WhoScored, he completed just 67.9% of his passes in the Europa League last term. Historically, it's always been a poor area of Cabral's game, boasting a success rate of 71.2% throughout his career.

That doesn't bode well for a free-flowing Leeds side that likes to play a quick passing style under Bielsa. Cabral's passing stats would put him right at the very bottom of the chart when comparing him to the rest of Bielsa's side. 

Not a single Leeds player achieved a percentage below 72.5% last season.