Leeds United ‘well placed’ to repeat Jayden Bogle transfer trick with £32m discount for 40-cap international
Leeds United appear to be getting early plans in place for a busy summer of Premier League recruitment.
Leeds United could be in line to land a transfer bargain this summer as fresh reports emerge surrounding interest in Sporting CP midfielder Hidemasa Morita.
Twenty-nine-year-old Morita first emerged as a possible target for Leeds last month, with Portuguese national sports newspaper Record first reporting on interest from Elland Road. Daniel Farke’s side were preparing to face Oxford United when the midfielder’s name first emerged and, as with virtually every recent link, a ‘concrete offer’ was dependent on promotion.
Leeds secured promotion a few days later and were crowned Championship champions with a 2-1 win at Plymouth Argyle on Saturday, with Record (via Sport Witness) now providing an update on their supposed interest in Morita over the weekend. They suggest the Whites are ‘well placed’ to get their man ahead of the 2025/26 Premier League campaign - and they could do it for a bargain price.
Morita joined Sporting in a £3.5million deal almost three years ago and with his potential obvious, the Portuguese club inserted a whopping €45m (£38.4m) release clause into his four-year contract - that was even confirmed by the club at the time. But that deal is now due to enter its final 12 months this summer and the Japan international is said to be keen on trying a new adventure, with the prospect of Premier League football tempting.
The weekend report from Record claims Sporting are weighing up whether to keep Morita beyond this summer in the hope he pens a new deal, although that would risk him leaving for nothing in 12 month’s time. Alternatively, they could sell the Japan international if someone offers as little as €8m (£6.8m), which would represent a massive 82 per cent discount on that buyout clause.
That would appear as a huge bargain for someone of Morita’s experience and quality, given he’s spent three years playing top-flight football while also representing Sporting in the Champions League and Europa League. The 29-year-old also has 40 caps for Japan and is often competing for minutes with current Leeds favourite Ao Tanaka, whose £3m deal from Fortuna Dusseldorf grows harder to believe every week.
Leeds United can repeat Jayden Bogle transfer trick
The reason for Morita’s perceived low fee is clear, with the midfielder’s contract entering its final year and seemingly little desire to pen fresh terms. Record report he is keen to enjoy a new challenge, having only played in Portugal and his native Japan since breaking into senior football in 2018.
As already mentioned, Sporting are considering whether to keep Morita on board for the 2025/26 campaign while continuing their attempts to get a new deal signed, but that carries obvious risk as he could leave for free next year. And it appears Leeds are focusing on players in such situations, having done so last summer.
Leeds lured Bogle away from future Championship promotion rivals Sheffield United last summer after the right-back made clear his desire to seek a fresh opportunity. Bramall Lane chiefs were left with little option due to their player being in the final year of their contract and Farke got his man for £5m.
Bogle took a few weeks to settle in at Elland Road but has since proven to be the Championship’s best right-back by some distance, with that £5m price-tag looking like more of a bargain every week. And having enjoyed such success with the former Sheffield United man, Leeds look to be attempting the same trick elsewhere.
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