Leeds United turn up the heat in race to sign Hamburg striker

United have been keeping tabs on the German all summer but the 25-year-old’s reported £50,000-a-week wages have proved an obstacle to any move.

But Leeds remain hopeful of striking a deal with the forward who Hamburg are keen to sell before Thursday’s 11pm deadline.

The Whites will need Lasogga to lower his wage demands or reach an agreement with Hamburg.

Lasogga travelled to England on Monday with members of his family to discuss a transfer though the former German under-21 international has other options to consider.

Lasogga has not featured for Hamburg so far this season but the striker netted eight goals in 30 appearances in the Bundesliga last season. The six-foot-two forward was formerly on the fringes of the German national side and the hit man has netted 28 goals in 103 appearances since joining Hamburg from Hertha BSC in September 2013, initially on loan.

Leeds are also looking at other striker options after the club’s £6m bid to land Middlesbrough striker Rudy Gestede was rejected last week.

United have not submitted a second bid and Boro boss Garry Monk is keen to keep the 28-year-old at the Riverside.

Leeds director of football Victor Orta has also looked at 23-year-old Malmo winger/striker Pawel Cibicki.

United have other targets but the Whites are not in the hunt to land Preston North End forward Jordan Hugill. The player has never been on United’s radar.

United have only three first-team strikers at present following the £15m sale of last season’s top goalscorer Chris Wood to Burnley and Souleymane Doukara’s switch to Osmanlispor.

Marcus Antonsson is also on a season-long loan at Blackburn Rovers.

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One of United’s three first-team strikers, summer recruit Caleb Ekuban, is also facing a spell on the sidelines with a foot injury.

Kemar Roofe started in the lone striker role in Saturday’s 2-0 success at Nottingham Forest while fellow striker Jay-Roy Grot took over in the position when coming on as a second-half substitute.

Nineteen-year-old Grot joined Leeds from Dutch side NEC Nijmegan last week for an initial £750,000.

And Leeds are not planning to part company with winger Stuart Dallas, despite interest from Championship rivals Norwich City.

The Whites want to keep the Northern Ireland international who is currently being kept out of the Whites starting line up by Gianni Alioski and Pablo Hernandez.

Dallas is into the final year of his deal at Leeds.