Leeds United medical in the next 24 hours as Whites close in on fifth summer transfer
Leeds United are edging closer to their first midfield addition of the summer.
Leeds United are closing in on a deal for Newcastle United midfielder Sean Longstaff who is due at Thorp Arch for medical tests on Thursday, the YEP understands.
Longstaff has been linked with a possible move to Elland Road all summer and the YEP reported last week Leeds had seen three bids rejected by Newcastle. The latter, worth £10million plus £2m add-ons, was close to the limit Whites chiefs would stump up but in the days that followed an agreement was reached.
Leeds are believed to have agreed a total package worth around £15m, with Newcastle set to receive £12m upfront and a further £3m if certain add-ons are met. A report from the Athletic claimed personal terms had already been agreed with Longstaff and the 27-year-old is due in West Yorkshire within the next 24 hours to undergo medical tests.
As of Wednesday morning, Longstaff had been with his Newcastle teammates in Austria as they prepare for a pre-season friendly against Celtic on Saturday. The midfielder scored in a 4-0 training ground fixture win against Carlisle United last weekend and has kept involved throughout training, despite ongoing speculation over his future.
Longstaff will now fly back to the UK and report to Leeds’ Thorp Arch training ground on Thursday, where he will undergo all the necessary medical tests before a deal can be confirmed. His future teammates will also be in the vicinity continuing pre-season preparations ahead of their weekend trip to Stockholm.
When will Sean Longstaff make his Leeds United debut?
Leeds face Manchester United in the Swedish capital on Saturday and if Longstaff’s move is confirmed by then, he could well be involved. The midfielder’s involvement in Newcastle pre-season so far means there are unlikely to be any fitness concerns, with a friendly the perfect scenario with which to bed in.
Four other new signings could be involved, however, with Lukas Nmecha, Jaka Bijol, Sebastiaan Bornauw and Gabriel Gudmundsson all settled into life at Leeds already. The quartet have been spotted getting to work with their new teammates in a series of videos uploaded by the club since pre-season started last week.
Leeds remain in the market for further midfield reinforcements after Longstaff, with talks continuing over a possible move for Anton Stach. The YEP exclusively named Stach as a target Elland road chiefs deem viable earlier this month and on Wednesday, Sky Germany claimed personal terms had been agreed with the 6ft 4ins ball winner.
Hoffenheim are thought to want around £17m plus add-ons for Stach, who is considered one of the Bundesliga’s top midfield destroyers. Other clubs have enquired about the 26-year-old’s availability but the agreement of personal terms suggest he would be open to joining Farke’s side.