Leeds United hijack Cardiff City loan bid for Boro midfielder Forshaw
Adam Forshaw will undergo a medical with Leeds United this morning after the club hijacked a bid by Cardiff City to sign the midfielder from Middlesbrough.
United are hopeful of completing a deal in time for Saturday’s clash with Millwall following lengthy negotiations with Middlesbrough yesterday.
Leeds entered the running to sign the 26-year-old after Championship rivals Cardiff moved to meet Boro’s £2.5m valuation at the start of this week.
Cardiff boss Neil Warnock was intent to taking Forshaw to Wales and maintained his interest despite City signing another midfielder yesterday afternoon with a loan deal for Liverpool’s Marko Grujic.
Forshaw, however, favoured a transfer to Leeds and the Elland Road club finalised a fee with Boro last night, opening the door for Forshaw to discuss personal terms and undergo a medical.
United head coach Thomas Christiansen wants the midfielder on board for this weekend’s game against Millwall having lost Eunan O’Kane to a three-match ban after his dismissal at Ipswich Town last weekend.
O’Kane’s three-match suspension weakened Christiansen’s options with Ronaldo Vieira recovering from a knee injury and Kalvin Phillips one yellow card away from a two-match ban.
Forshaw, whose professional career began at Everton, was surplus to requirements at The Riverside and made his last appearance for Boro in a 2-0 win over Ipswich at the start of last month.
He has played over 100 times, how-
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ever, since signing from Wigan Athletic three years ago and featured in both Boro’s Championship promotion season in 2015-16 and their subsequent Premier League campaign. He is tied to Boro until the summer of 2020.
Forshaw’s arrival will free up Leeds to send Mateusz Klich out on loan, seven months after the Poland international joined from FC Twente for £1.5m.
Klich has made one league start under Christiansen having failed to impress United’s boss and the 28-year-old is the subject of foreign interest.