Swap deal mooted for man Leeds United want amid new threat for free transfer target

The summer transfer window is upon us and for Leeds United it has been a relatively quiet one so far. The Whites have been linked to a host of players over the last few weeks but haven't made their move in the market just yet.

Players have been linked away, too, but as of yet United haven't made the difficult decision to sell any players. It promises to be an intriguing few months, though, with Leeds needing to add new faces to bolster their push for promotion at the second time of asking. With that in mind, here's a round-up of some of the latest Leeds United transfer news.

Southampton eye swap deal

Tottenham Hotspur are ready to offer Joe Rodon up as part of a swap deal for Southampton man Carlos Alcaraz. That's according to The Sun, who claim a player plus cash deal may be a possibility for Spurs with Rodon, who has been linked with a move to Southampton, being used as a makeweight.

Leeds United are known to be keen on re-signing Rodon after spending an impressive campaign on loan with the Whites. They face competition from a number of Premier League clubs with Leicester City and Ipswich Town also said to be keen.

However, the Whites may be set to see their efforts fall short with the swap deal that suits both Spurs and Southampton being mooted. Alcaraz spent the second half of last season with Juventus, where he made 12 appearances, after making 23 appearances for the Saints in the Championship.

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Ipswich join Johnson race

Ipswich Town have reportedly entered the race to sign West Ham United defender and Leeds United target Ben Johnson this summer. Johnson's contract with the Hammers is due to expire next week and while he has been offered a new deal to stay on at the London Stadium he is currently due to leave the club.

Leeds have long been linked with the defender with the Whites being keen on a loan for the right-back in January before reportedly reigniting their interest once more in the summer. However, they're not alone in the market and Ipswich's apparent interest, per the Telegraph, comes as something of a threat, with Kieran McKenna eyeing up the right-back as he strives to make improvements to his squad ahead of the club's return to the Premier League.

Johnson could yet stay at West Ham, of course, with the defender spending his entire career in east London to date. He has made 109 appearances for the club in all competitions since breaking through into the first-team in 2019.