Leeds United 'on verge' of £2.5m deal for Bundesliga target as Fabrizio Romano hints at 'busy' deadline day
Your round-up of the latest Leeds United transfer stories ahead of what looks set to be an interesting deadline day.
Leeds United have a little over 24 hours to conclude their transfer business after what has been an incredibly busy summer in West Yorkshire. Supporters have had to wave goodbye to some of last season’s top performers but have since welcomed what they hope to be new fan-favourites, with recruitment chiefs reaping the rewards of holding their nerve. Two new attackers have come through the door this week and other positions will soon follow, with the club closing in on targets.
Hull City arrive at Elland Road on Saturday and all eyes will be looking at those fresh faces, with a hope of a debut or two, but focus until that point remains on getting transfer business done. Reinforcements in central midfield and at full-back look imminent, with hope there could still be a big name to come. With all that in mind, the YEP has rounded up some of the latest stories surrounding the club.
Schmidt price-tag
Leeds are thought to be closing in on a move for versatile full-back Isaac Schmidt and reports suggest an agreement with FC St. Gallen is close. Sky Germany’s Patrick Berger claims Elland Road chiefs are willing to pay an initial fee around €3m (£2.5m) plus add-ons for the 24-year-old.
Schmidt emerged as a target for Leeds on Thursday and the YEP understands talks have been progressing well throughout the day, with focus turned to the Swiss youth international following interest in the likes of Hugo Bueno and Max Aarons. The aforementioned pair would have been loan deals but Farke looks set to welcome permanent full-back cover to Elland Road.
Berger claims the attacking full-back will fly into the UK on Friday morning, following his side’s Europa Conference League qualifying game against Trabzonspor this evening, with a deal expected to go through. Bundesliga outfit Werder Bremen were also keen on Schmidt but Leeds look to have won the race.
Deadline day prediction
Fabrizio Romano is expecting a busy deadline day at Leeds with surprise transfer target Roland Sallai still a ‘possibility’. Hungarian international Sallai first emerged as a late-summer target via the YEP’s Inside Elland Road newsletter earlier this month, with a previously unattainable target now looking possible.
Sallai is into the final year of his contract at SC Freiburg and despite Leeds bringing in the two attackers they needed, recruitment chiefs remain interested in a third and could look to land a statement arrival on deadline day. There is also known interest in Sheffield United’s Gustavo Hamer and Romano expects the club to remain active right up until the deadline.
“I think they will be busy for sure. There will be many movements, Sallai could be a possibility,” the journalist told GiveMeSport. “But again, there are several names being considered, and I'm sure Leeds will be one of the busy clubs in the final hours.”