Leeds United
Premier League • England
Leeds linked with six-player transfer blitz as relegated Prem star responds directly to Whites links
Japhet Tanganga, Dara O'Shea and Shea Charles have all been linked with Leeds
Leeds United have been linked with six players in recent days, four of whom starred in the Championship this season, with one of them responding directly to talk he could move to Elland Road – while one little-used £10m Whites star has confirmed the club’s plans to sell him this summer.
The Whites are back in the Premier League after a two-year absence and know simply securing survival next season back among the elite will prove a mammoth achievement in itself. However, while they have seen other sides around them already strengthen their squads, Leeds United are yet to add to Daniel Farke’s squad since promotion was achieved.
However, while some Leeds fans may be dismayed by the apparent lack of activity, we can confirm the club are working hard in the background on a number of additions this summer and with the club extremely well-versed now in not leaking any major interest to the media until a full agreement is closing in.
With that in mind, sources have confirmed that Leeds will prioritise the signing of a new goalkeeper, a striker, a No.10 and a left-back this summer. Another central defender will also likely be needed.
In the meantime, reports have linked the Whites with a number of the Championship’s better stars of the season just gone, with Millwall’s Japhet Tanganga, Coventry City’s Jack Rudoni and Middlesbrough’s Finn Azaz among the targets for the club.
Southampton midfielder Shea Charles has also been tipped for a move to Leeds and sources can confirm he is one player who has caught the eye. At this point, it is too soon to say whether a concrete move has been made for the 21-year-old Northern Ireland international, who shone during a loan spell with Sheffield Wednesday this season.
The Whites are also reportedly on the trail of Ipswich defender Dara O’Shea, who only moved to Portman Road last summer from West Brom in a £12m deal.
And while the 26-year-old is now facing an immediate return to the second tier following the Tractor Boys’ relegation, O’Shea insists he remains committed to Kieran McKenna’s side, having been asked about links to Leeds.
“I’m fully committed to Ipswich at the moment. I’ve got another four years there and I want to get the club back into the Premier League. I’m ambitious as a player,” O’Shea told reporters while on Ireland duty.
“Obviously, I want to be playing in the Premier League but I know it’s not that easy. Whatever happens in football it happens for a reason. You have a journey and you’ve got to stick to that sometimes,” he said.
IN-DEPTH ⚪🟡🔵 Leeds United most expensive signings: Top 10 revealed before crucial summer spending
£30k a week Leeds star confirms club want to sell him
A sixth player tipped as a target for Leeds is Udinese defender Jaka Bijol, though with Inter Milan, AC Milan and Juventus also linked with the Slovenian centre-back, securing a deal will not be easy.
Leeds’ interest in a number of central defenders is easy to see and more so after Austria defender Max Wober confirmed to the media over the weekend that he will likely leave Elland Road this summer, having confirmed the club’s plans to sell him.
Speaking to Austrian outlet Krone after their 2-1 World Cup qualifying win over Romania on Saturday, Wober, who was one of his country’s best players on the day, stated: “Leeds has already made it clear to me that they want to sell me. I might have been able to send out a letter of application [with his display].
“I was extremely pleased that I was able to show other clubs that I’m fit, that I’m still a really good player, and that I don’t want to just rot away in England,” Wober continued.
Wober, who earns an estimated £30,000 a week at Elland Road, joined in a £10m deal from RB Salzburg in January 2023 and has made 28 appearances for the Whites.
Leeds transfer round-up: Nick Pope deal chances; favourite unlikely to return
Meanwhile, Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope faces a major dilemma over his future after sources outlined his determination to stay on Tyneside, and with Leeds United very much on standby to strike a deal to bring the 33-year-old to Elland Road this summer.
Pope is one of the candidates to replace Illan Meslier, who was axed from the side after one too many blunders last season. Now sources have confirmed the Whites will not stand in the Frenchman’s way over a summer exit.
Elsewhere, Manchester City will not stand in Kalvin Phillips’ way of leaving the Etihad Stadium this summer after setting a lowball fee for his exit. And while his chances of a return to Leeds have been explained by sources, we can reveal the three major reasons why an emotional return to Elland Road does not look likely.