Leeds close on £9.75m deal to sign RB Salzburg captain as Marsch aims to fix big Leeds issue
Leeds United have opened talks to sign Red Bull Salzburg left-back and captain, Maximilian Wober, according to reports.
The Whites have been searching the market for a new left-back after Junior Firpo has struggled massively with form and fitness issues during his time at Elland Road.
Wober has previously worked with Jesse Marsch during his time at Salzburg and they could reportedly be reunited for a fee in the region of £14m once add-ons are factored in.
As reported by TEAMtalk, Leeds recently registered an interest in Philadelphia Union left-back Kai Wagner. However, they have now they have switched their attention to Wober, who Marsch is very familiar with.
The American manager is known for bringing his former players to Elland Road, such as Brenden Aaronson and Rasmus Kristensen, who both came from RB Salzburg and Tyler Adams, from RB Leipzig.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Leeds are in the process of preparing an opening bid for the 24-year-old left-back.
He said: “Leeds United are preparing an offer for Red Bull Salzburg defender Maximilian Wober.
“Discussions are expected to take lace for a fee of around €11m plus €5m in add-ons.
“Wober, important player for Salzburg as he’s the captain.”
Indeed, the Austrian has been a vital player for Salzburg over the past few years.
Since joining the club from Sevilla in 2019, overall, Wober has featured 125 times for Salzburg, scoring nine goals and making nine assists.
Wober could be an ideal fit for Leeds
A solid, strong defender, Wober has the ability to play as a centre-back or a left-back, but it is thought that Marsch would be focusing on the latter should a deal be done.
During his Salzburg career, the Austrian has picked up some valuable experience – featuring 22 times in the Champions League, for example.
Wober has also chalked up 13 caps for his country too, so he is clearly highly rated.
The 24-year-old has also led his side to three league titles and three Austrian Cups. As such, Marsch will be hoping that Wober can bring this winning mentality to Yorkshire.
As mentioned, Leeds desperately need cover at left-back after Junior Firpo has struggled with injury problems of late.
Even when the former Barcelona man has played, he has seemed to struggle to acclimatise to the Premier League. To that end, the club has made no secret of their wish to sign an upgrade.
Not all over yet for Junior Firpo
That said, Marsch hasn’t completely written him off Firpo just yet.
Speaking in a press conference in November, he said: “I’ve heard criticisms of Junior in the past.
“I can only tell you since I’ve been here, he has, in every way, tried to adapt and learn and grow into the player I believe he can be.
“If he can continue to add the right kind of aggressiveness, he can grow into a real defender and be a real two-way player.
“He has everything he needs and his commitment to try to do that is at a really high level.”
At the moment though, the Whites need someone who can be a consistent starter instantly and if recent reports are to be believed, Wober could be the ideal candidate.
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