EXCLUSIVE: Leeds’ Taylor holds talks with Liverpool and Stoke

Leeds full-back Charlie Taylor is expected to sign for either Liverpool or Stoke this summer after holding transfer talks with the two clubs, sources have told TEAMtalk.

The left-back, who was named the Whites’ Player of the Year in 2015/16 and was the subject of our weekly Scout feature recently, has just a year left on his contract and efforts by the club to get the player to extend his deal have so far failed to reap rewards.

And TEAMtalk can reveal the player has held talks with both Liverpool and Stoke this summer, with a move to the Premier League looking increasingly likely for the highly-rated star, who would command a fee of around £5million.

Liverpool are well known to be in the hunt for a left-back and have also sounded out Cologne about a deal for Jonas Hector. But efforts to sign the Germany international have yet to bear fruit and the Reds have now opened talks with the 22-year-old Leeds star as they look at alternatives.

Jurgen Klopp is keen to bring in cover and competition for Alberto Moreno, whose performance in the Europa League final came in for plenty of criticism, though Liverpool could yet allow the Spaniard to leave should they also land Hector this summer.

Taylor, meanwhile, who has also been linked with Sunderland and Manchester United, is also believed to have held talks with Stoke this summer, as boss Mark Hughes looks to bring in cover for Eric Pieters and across his left midfield, where Taylor can also operate.

Leeds have recently appointed Garry Monk as the seventh manager of the Massimo Cellino era and it is thought he has made new contracts for the likes of Taylor and Lewis Cook his top priority.

But it seems Taylor has decided not to commit to a new deal, leaving Leeds – who lost fellow full-back Sam Byram to West Ham during January in similar circumstances – with little option but to sell.