Sebastiaan Bornauw reveals hilarious '20 message' Josuha Guilavogui reaction to Leeds United transfer question
The defender joined Leeds United on Tuesday evening after a rather one-sided chat with his former Wolfsburg teammate.
Sebastiaan Bornauw was bombarded with positive messages from a recent Leeds United cult hero and former teammate after revealing interest from Elland Road.
Bornauw’s permanent transfer from VfL Wolfsburg was officially confirmed on Wednesday evening, a little over 24 hours after the YEP first reported on interest in the 26-year-old defender. Leeds are believed to have paid €6million (£5.14m) for the Belgian international, who put pen to paper on a four-year contract after completing his medical on Monday.
Having spent four years at Wolfsburg, Bornauw shared a dressing room not only with fellow summer arrival Lukas Nmecha but also Elland Road favourite Josuha Guilavogui, whose eight-month stint in West Yorkshire was short but incredibly sweet. The French midfielder was emphatic in urging Nmecha to make the same move and looks to have responded in similar fashion when selling Leeds to another former teammate.
“I know Josh really well,” Bornauw told LUTV after signing. “When I asked him what he thought about Leeds, he sent me like 20 voice messages because we were both in the airport and couldn’t call. So yeah, like 20 voice messages. All one-minute [long]. How good it is, how great it is, that it would fit my character really good. So yeah, he was so positive. I know the people liked him here.”
Guilavogui’s glowing reference certainly adds another string to the Leeds United negotiating bow but it is not the only pull. Elland Road chiefs have made a point of showing prospective targets last season’s incredible celebrations, including their city-centre open-top bus parade, to give an idea of the love they will receive if things go well.
Sebastiaan Bornauw ‘dream come true’ with Leeds United transfer
The catalyst to those scenes was obviously promotion and Leeds’ return to the Premier League presents another selling point for possible summer additions. And it was certainly a factor in Bornauw’s thinking, with the centre-back admitting it’s a ‘dream come true’ to play for such a huge club in Europe’s biggest league.
“I’m really pleased to be here, it’s an amazing club,” he added. “The Premier League was always my dream, and then to play for such a big club in England and in Europe, it's a dream come true.
“I think the Premier League for me is the biggest league in the world. Obviously, Germany is a really strong league too, but I think as a football player, we aim for the highest and I think the Premier League is the highest for me.”
Bornauw becomes summer signing number three at Leeds, joining fellow defender Jaka Bijol and former Wolfsburg teammate Lukas Nmecha through the door as recruitment chiefs prioritise physicality. All three are comfortably over 6ft and all are 26, highlighting that for now, experience is another desired strength for Daniel Farke.
Another who fits the profile of being 26 and over 6ft is Anton Stach, who the YEP exclusively named as a transfer target on Tuesday. The ball-winning central midfielder enjoyed an excellent 2024/25 campaign at Hoffenheim and is expected to attract plenty of interest.