Leeds United chase Gestede and Grot

Leeds are keen on Gestede and are understood to have tabled a bid for 19-year-old Grot with a minimum of two new forwards expected to arrive at Elland Road before next week’s transfer deadline.

Gestede has been heavily involved in the early stages of Boro’s Championship season but he joined the club in January at a time when Victor Orta, Leeds’ current director of football, was head of recruitment at The Riverside.

Boro paid £6m to Aston Villa for his signature but Boro’s January deals failed to save the club from relegation from the Premier League.

Gestede scored twice in 19 appearances, 12 of those as a substitute, and has found the net once for Boro this term in a 1-0 win over Sheffield United.

Grot, meanwhile, is a Holland Under-19 international who featured regularly for NEC in the Dutch Eredivisie last season.

The powerful 6’3” youngster, who turned professional at NEC in 2015, produced five goals in 20 league starts and is under contract until next summer.

Leeds are pushing to bring strikers to Elland Road after finalising Wood’s £15m sale to Burnley today.

That fee could rise to £18m depending on appearances but his exit leaves head coach Thomas Christiansen short of firepower with the transfer window due to close in 10 days’ time.