Leeds United target in £7.5m 'talks', Portsmouth eye Sunderland man, goalkeeper 'deal agreed'

Leeds United opened up a two-point gap on promotion rivals Sheffield United following Monday’s hard-fought 0-0 draw at Burnley. A solid defensive performance saw Daniel Farke’s side come through arguably the toughest game of the season with a three-point cushion on those outside the automatic promotion places.

Focus inside the squad will now be on Saturday’s visit of Cardiff City to Elland Road but with just four days until the January transfer window closes, speculation continues to intensify. Leeds maintain they expect a quiet month but the same is not true elsewhere, and the YEP has rounded up some of the latest stories from across the Championship.

Svensson Benfica talks

Leeds-linked defender Daniel Svensson could be on his way to Portugal with reports of interest from Benfica. Record claim talks are already underway for the 22-year-old, who is expected to cost around €9million (£7.5m), to join Roger Schmidt’s title-chasing Eagles.

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Svensson was named as a possible target for Leeds last month, with Swedish outlet Fotbolldirekt reporting on growing interest in the promising FC Nordsjælland star from England and across Europe. The likes of Liverpool, Manchester United and Juventus have also recently been linked to the versatile full-back.

But it is Benfica who could take charge of the situation, with left-back reinforcements needed if Jan-Niklas Beste joins SC Freiburg as expected. Record claim the Portuguese giants are already ‘negotiating’ the terms of a deal with Nordsjælland, so as to be prepared if Beste is sold.

Championship switch

Portsmouth are reportedly eyeing a move for Sunderland forward Adil Aouchiche before Monday’s deadline. The News claim John Mousinho’s side are in need of wide reinforcements, with Aouchiche potentially allowed to leave the Stadium of Light in search of more regular football.

The 22-year-old joined Sunderland in September 2023 but has been unable to break into the first-team picture under Regis Le Bris, with eight league appearances this season including only three starts and totalling just 296 minutes. The former Paris Saint-Germain prospect has fallen further out of favour following this month’s signing of Enzo Le Fee.

Portsmouth are also thought to be keen on Liverpool youngster Kaide Gordon, who was recalled from a season-long loan at Norwich City this month with regular football lacking. Aouchiche is thought to be seen as a more viable option than the 20-year-old, however.

Watford loan agreed

Watford have agreed a deal to take goalkeeper Egil Selvik on loan from Udinese for the rest of the season. Sky Sports claim the 27-year-old will fly to London on Thursday to undergo medical tests ahead of official confirmation.

Selvik only joined Udinese from Norwegian outfit Haugesund earlier this month but now looks set for an instant temporary switch. The Serie A side are owned by the Pozzo family, who are also majority shareholders at Watford.

Six-foot-two-inch Selvik has been capped four times by the Norwegian national team since 2023. He is expected to come in and replace current first-choice Daniel Bachmann.