£10m former Leeds United target 'wanted' by Championship rivals as controversial QPR incident highlighted
Your round-up of the latest Leeds United stories as the November international break gets underway.
Leeds United remain right in the mix for automatic promotion after beating Queens Park Rangers 2-0 on Saturday. Goals either side of half-time from Jayden Bogle and Joel Piroe capped off a relatively comfortable day for Daniel Farke’s men, who cut Sunderland’s four-point gap in half and briefly climbed into second with the win.
Sheffield United beat Sheffield Wednesday to reclaim their spot but Leeds can go into this November international break knowing they are well-placed for another strong campaign. And as several first-team players jet off to represent their respective countries, the YEP has rounded up some of the latest stories surrounding the club.
Kent eyed
Long-term Leeds target Ryan Kent might finally be set to walk out at Elland Road this season - albeit not in the white of Farke’s side. Journalist Alan Nixon reports that Preston North End manager Paul Heckingbottom is keen on a reunion with Kent, who he had on loan at Barnsley back in 2016/17.
Kent is currently without a club after seeing his Fenerbahce contract terminated last month, having failed to play a single minute this season under new boss Jose Mourinho. Leeds’ name inevitably resurfaced in the aftermath, although Leeds Live have previously reported that the club have been ‘keen to kill’ ongoing speculation surrounding the winger.
Leeds were certainly keen on Kent at one point, seeing a £10m bid rejected for the former Liverpool academy prospect in 2020 after he had impressed at Rangers. The Whites are yet to face Preston and so could come up against their former target, with a trip to Deepdale next month followed by their visit to Elland Road in April.
QPR incident missed
Former Premier League referee Keith Hackett believes Leeds should have had a first-half penalty against QPR on Saturday. The incident in question occurred in the 35th-minute when the ball appeared to his defender Steve Cook’s arm, following a chance for striker Mateo Joseph.
There were claims for a handball inside the stadium and on the pitch, although referee Matt Donohue quickly waved play on. But Hackett believes Cook knew ‘exactly what he was doing’ and Leeds should have been handed the chance to make it 2-0 from the spot.
“The player has raised his arm and knows exactly what he’s doing,” Hackett told MOT Leeds News of the missed incident. “He’s made his body shape bigger and should have been penalised in this instance.”