Udinese president Franco Soldati believes reported Liverpool and Leeds United target Rodrigo de Paul will not leave the Serie A outfit for less than £30 million, as he told Radio Punto Nuovo, via Calciomercato.
When asked last week about the possibility of an Argentina international joining Marcelo Bielsa at Elland Road, Victor Orta was understandably coy.
“I don’t know,” said Orta, Leeds popular director of football. “It’s really difficult. He’s a player with good valuation.”
De Paul, as Orta himself suggested, would not come cheap.
This is one of the most influential midfielders in Serie A we are talking about.
Given that the likes of Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Juventus and Liverpool have also been linked, a bidding war involving some of the biggest clubs on the continent would De Paul’s already-hefty price-tag soar to vertigo-inducing heights.
While Soldati was reluctant to give too much away when asked about the future of his talismanic captain, the Udinese president did admit that De Paul would cost a fair bit more than the figure put forward in the media.
“How much is De Paul worth? That will depend on the evolution of the transfer market,” Soldati said.
“I think it may be worth more than the 33.5 million euros (£30 million) indicated by the BeSoccer site.”
De Paul, a defence-splitting creator at club level who evolves into a tough-tackling ball-winner when pulling on the Argentina shirt, has indicated on numerous occasions that he would be happy to stay at Udinese for the time being.
Could the former Valencia youngster be tempted to follow in the iconic footsteps of Zebrette legend Antonio di Natale?
“I wouldn’t be surprised if he decided to stay in Udine and retrace Antonio Di Natale’s footsteps, also because next year the idea of the owner (Gino Pozzo) is to create a more competitive team,” Soldati added.
“Much will depend on the player’s will. I would understand if he decided to go to a top club.”
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
