Top-flight transfer chief confirms interest in Leeds United defender
There have been regular reports of Bundesliga interest in the Leeds United man.
Transfer interest in Leeds United defender Sebastiaan Bornauw has been confirmed by a top-flight sporting director.
Bornauw joined Leeds last summer in a deal worth around £5million and took on an important squad role, featuring 17 times across all competitions including nine starts during his debut campaign. With Jaka Bijol currently injured, the 27-year-old has been a regular feature in pre-season so far.
The defender has emerged as a possible summer target for Hamburger SV, the latest in a string of Bundesliga links which have also included one of his former clubs, FC Koln. Local German outlet Hamburger Abendblatt report that Bornauw is among ‘three or four’ centre-backs being seriously considered.
HSV need a replacement for Luka Vuskovic, who spent the 2025/26 campaign on loan at the Volksparkstadion before returning to Tottenham Hotspur and then completing a £50m move to Brighton and Hove Albion. The German side have also been linked to striker Terem Moffi, with sporting director Claus Costa quizzed on both links.
"We are familiar with both players,” he said, as quoted by BuliNews. “They are on the list of players we are looking at. It's not as if the deals are imminent, however."
It remains to be seen if HSV progress their interest but Leeds have shown no sign of wanting to lose Bornauw, nor has it been suggested the Belgian is agitating to leave. Daniel Farke currently has just three fit centre-backs available, with Bijol close to a return and versatile full-back James Justin also able to tuck in if needed.
Leeds lost Pascal Struijk to Brighton in a deal worth £20m earlier this summer, replacing him with £34m Bosnian international Tarik Muharemovic from Sassuolo. If anything, Farke could do with a little more natural depth in the area heading into the new season.
Bijol has two weeks to return from injury and get match-fit, with three more friendlies left to play. Leeds face RB Leipzig on Saturday before games against Manchester United and FC Augsburg next week.