Jesse Marsch highlights emerging duo in answering Leeds United transfer question

Still, Whites boss Jesse Marsch admits the constant media focus on United's transfer activity certainly shows it matters.

It matters, too, says Marsch, that any prospective new Leeds signing is exactly the right fit.

Despite the latest round of speculation, the Whites are not interested in moves for Juan Mata or Ismaila Sarr, despite Marsch admitting his club are still "evaluating" the market for another possible striker option.

But however the remaining 20 days of the summer transfer window play out, Marsch is keen to highlight the club's new emerging forward options from within and has warned of the dangers of "suffocating" such talents.

Leeds have already been hugely busy in this summer's window by bringing in five new first team players in Tyler Adams, Brenden Aaronson, Rasmus Kristensen, Marc Roca and Luis Sinisterra, strengthening the squad as a whole following the record sales of star duo Raphinha and Kalvin Phillips to Manchester City and Barcelona.

If United had their way, 21-year-old Belgian international forward Charles De Ketelaere would have become another addition and for a club record fee having agreed a deal with Club Brugge for 40m euros.

De Keteleare, though, held out for a 35m euros move to AC Milan which was completed last week, leaving Leeds in the market for a striker option - but with a strong warning from their head coach.

If the right option presents itself then United will try to sign them, but not, says Marsch, at the detriment of the emerging talents from within, the latest of whom are 18-year-old pair Sonny Perkins and Mateo Joseph - the latter of whom struck a four time for United's under-21s in last weekend's victory against Derby County.

Youngster Perkins, meanwhile, is another new arrival through the entrance door this summer following a move from West Ham United, joining the club seven months after Fernandez moved to Leeds from Espanyol.

Whilst the striker assessment continues, both players are evidently firmly on Marsch's long term agenda in addition to the current key options of fit again Patrick Bamford, Joe 'Joffy' Gelhardt, Rodrigo and Dan James.

Speaking at Thursday's pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday's second game of the new Premier League season at Southampton, Marsch was asked if he felt Leeds were light in any particular areas and reasoned: "We've said for a long time that we've been evaluating for the right striker.

"But Patrick being fully fit obviously helps us in that area.

"We also have some flexibility with Rodrigo who can play there and Dan can play there at times.

"And with Mateo and Sonny Perkins we have some good young strikers and obviously Joffy but Joffy I consider part of the first group

"We have some good young strikers so a lot of it is also trying to look at it from a profile - what age do we want and that we don't want to suffocate some of them having opportunities moving forward in the next one to three years.

"It's about trying to find the right age profile and the right player profile and most importantly, the right person to come into the team.

"And as a striker that's not so easy.

"The way that I like to play the game, we ask a lot from the strikers to work hard to press, it's a very demanding position in the way that I like to play.

"So we're trying to find the right one."

Having also signed Perkins and fellow youngster Darko Gyabi in addition to the new first team quintet, Leeds landed an eighth signing of the summer this week through the addition of experienced keeper Joel Robles from Real Betis.

But Leeds have been looking into recruiting another left back option in addition to something else upfront and Marsch admits the focus on the club's transfer activity is like nothing else he has experienced before.

"Everything here, the media attention is 10 times what it is at most places," admitted Marsch.

"That lets you know, it's important. But for me, it's about just having a plan. And then having and working with the people in the club, in the ownership to execute the plan.

"I'm thankful that Andrea (Radrizzani) has supported our ideas so heavily.

"And I think that also the discussions, the challenging of each other, the finding a way to exactly agree what the plan is, and then executing the plan has been at the highest level that I've been a part of.

"I'm very thankful, because one thing I don't like is when they say 'my transfers', right?

"There are our transfers, we work through this together and I know it seems like they are mine because some of the players have played for me before, but please don't print that.

"Print that it's the Leeds United transfers and it's the leadership of Leeds United that are making these decisions.

"And I think that in that case, why I think it's important is because every transfer, every player has varying success. Some come in and start really well and continue and some take a little bit more time.

"But it's really important that in the process that there's no one person that's responsible for any success or failure based on anything that might happen and that we give every player in every decision a chance to thrive and succeed the best that they can.

"You have to be a team player in this business. And I've appreciated the fact that here working with Andrea, working with Victor (Orta) and with Angus (Kinnear) that we are really close and really aligned with a lot of things."Asked if Leeds were still active in the market, the Whites boss explained: "We're always actively thinking.

"We've done a really good job of acting early, and then giving these players the best chance to integrate as smoothly and quickly as possible.

"And it now puts us in a position where as we're starting our season and evaluating our performances, we can look more carefully at exactly what we might need moving forward.

"So I think that we are being very aggressive in evaluating what's out there and really trying to find the right fit more than just adding a position or a number or a player.

"We are really trying to make sure that every decision we make is the right decision."