Leeds United transfer boost as encouraging stance on £8.5m target emerges
Leeds United have Belgian-born midfielder Noah Sadiki on their transfer shortlist.
Leeds United’s hope of a summer move for Noah Sadiki has been boosted as recent quotes from the Royale Union Saint-Gilloise CEO emerge surrounding the midfielder’s future.
Sadiki is on Leeds’ list of potential transfer targets, as reported by the YEP last month, albeit sources on both sides of a potential deal denied suggestions of an £8.5million bid being lodged. Daniel Farke’s side are known to be in the market for midfield reinforcements and as an athletic and technically-gifted talent, the DR Congo international certainly fits the bill.
Leeds look to have missed out on Sunderland-bound midfielder Habib Diarra, having opted against matching the Black Cats’ whopping £30m offer for a player they deemed less likely to sign from the start. Sadiki, however, could be seen as more attainable and the 20-year-old is expected to attract plenty of top-flight attention this summer.
USG have built a strong reputation across Europe of buying low-cost prospects and developing them before selling on for profit, with the Belgian outfit unable to keep up with the finances of top-five European leagues. Sadiki cost just £1.7m in 2023 and so presents a chance for that trading model to reap its rewards - something CEO Philippe Bormans has made no secret of.
"It will be difficult, but we are positive,” Bormans admitted back in March when initially quizzed on plans to keep striker Franjo Ivanovic. “There is clearly interest in players like Ivanovic, [Charles] Vanhoutte, and Sadiki. And yes, some of them will surely leave this summer. We are a club with a limited budget whose objective is to give a player a chance by helping him progress. We know that if a big European club knocks on our door, the player will leave if all parties are satisfied.”
Leeds United midfield transfer latest as Noah Sadiki eyed
The article in which Bormans was quoted discussing Sadiki and other potential exits suggests the Leeds target would be worth between €10-15m (£8.6-£12.9m), a very manageable price for a newly-promoted Premier League club like Leeds. They have already committed £15m on Jaka Bijol and look set to spend a further £5m on Sebastiaan Bornauw.
Should Leeds decide to actively pursue Sadiki - something they aren’t thought to have done yet - then the biggest likely issue will be competition. Recent reports have suggested the Belgian-born midfielder is also a target for Brentford, a club renowned for picking up such talents and bringing them into the Premier League spotlight.
Leeds know they will sit below more established top-flight clubs like Brentford in the pecking order for some targets, given they are a newly-promoted side and therefore among the early favourites for relegation. They will also not be lured into spending over what they deem an acceptable price, as evidenced by their decision to move on from Diarra.
And Elland Road chiefs have other midfield targets, namely Hoffenheim’s Anton Stach who the YEP revealed this week was on the club’s radar. As with Diarra, Sadiki and the already-signed Bijol, competition is expected for the 26-year-old ball-winner but he’s certainly liked by Leeds.