The Udinese midfielder is a man in demand in the current transfer window and a host of clubs have been mulling a swoop to secure his services.
But only Leeds had taken concrete steps to land De Paul, opening talks with Udinese in a bid to find an agreement to take the Argentine to Elland Road.
They now face serious competition though as, according to Italian broadcaster Sportitalia, Leicester have moved into the race.
It has been claimed that Leicester have made a strong entry into the chase for De Paul.
Leicester could now battle Leeds for the signature of the midfielder, though it remains to be seen if either of the two clubs can find an agreement with Udinese.
Despite Serie A sides, including Juventus and Fiorentina, being admirers of De Paul, so far no Italian sides have moved to try to sign him.
Udinese are happy to keep De Paul if their asking price is not met and have him under contract for another four years.
