Gjanni Alioski still in talks with Leeds United, has not signed pre-contract agreement with Galatasaray

The YEP understands that reports suggesting the left-back had already signed a commitment to join Galatasaray are inaccurate and this week he sat down for talks with Leeds after the conclusion of the 2020/21 Premier League season.

Alioski is the only senior out-of-contract player confirmed to have been offered a new deal by Leeds, who revealed their retained list this evening.

His future has been in doubt for months, with the offer on the table from the Whites remaining unsigned. It is believed he has had interest and offers from elsewhere, but is yet to commit and told a broadcaster this week that he was still unsure of his Leeds future.

This week he has joined up with the North Macedonia national team ahead of their European Championships involvement, after a solid first season of Premier League football under Marcelo Bielsa

Alioski started 29 of Leeds' 38 top flight fixtures and came off the bench in a further seven. He ended the season with an unbroken run of 11 starts in the left-back or left wing-back position, a run of games in which Leeds lost only once, at Brighton. The trip to the Amex was one to forget for the 29-year-old but his performances against sides like Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool were enough to suggest he has developed and grown over the course of the campaign. He coped with the attacking threat of elite opposition and set up goals in the wins over Manchester City, Spurs and Burnley.

His adaptation to the top flight was sufficient for head coach Marcelo Bielsa to be in favour of retaining him at Leeds.

"If Alioski continues with us, I will be satisfied," said Bielsa.

"But the conditions that will allow Alioski to continue with us or not - that will be decided by Alioski and the club and any option that Alioski takes will be a legitimate one, and the position of the club is natural in that they will have to do what they can.

"What I can say is that if Alioski and the club decide to continue the relationship then I will be in favour of this decision but the way in which the agreement is obtained or not - there are many variables that are calculated from the club on one side and from Alioski on the other. And those variables, I don't know what they are and I try not to influence someone's decision."

Since his arrival in July 2017 Alioski has played 171 times for the Whites, scoring 22 goals and adding 19 assists.