Leeds United plan 'daring raid' for £6m teenager as Tottenham and Wolves 'eye' Elland Road leader

Leeds United lost ground on all of their promotion rivals over the weekend after drawing 1-1 at Preston North End. Daniel Farke’s side needed a 93rd-minute Jack Whatmough own-goal to salvage a point at Deepdale, with all of Sheffield United, Sunderland and Burnley winning their respective games.

Despite another disappointing result on the road, Leeds remain in the automatic promotion places and a return to Elland Road for the visit of managerless Oxford United should present a good opportunity for them to bounce back this weekend. Focus will now quickly turn to that upcoming clash and in the meantime, the YEP has rounded up some of the latest stories surrounding the club.

Midfield links

Leeds have been linked with a January move for Sporting CP midfielder Dario Essugo, who is currently on loan at Spanish outfit Las Palmas. Journalist Alan Nixon reports that Elland Road recruitment chiefs will look to prise the midfielder away from his temporary home by pursuing a loan-to-buy deal.

Essugo, a defensive midfielder by trade, is only 19-years-old but already has 23 first-team appearances at parent club Sporting, becoming the club’s youngest ever debutant at 16 years and six days old in March 2021. He was loaned out to La Liga outfit Las Palmas over the summer and has played 10 games this season, scoring once.

Nixon reported in the Sun that Leeds were interested in Essugo over the summer and could return in the January window, although it will need Sporting to end their player’s loan in Spain early. Nixon has also detailed on his private Patreon page that any deal for the Portuguese under-21 international could be worth around £6million and would remain active whether the Whites are promoted or not.

Subscribe to Inside Elland Road, with Graham Smyth for unique, behind-the-scenes Leeds United coverage, expert analysis and exclusive interviews

Struijk interest

Pascal Struijk’s excellent Championship form has reportedly piqued the interest of several Premier League clubs. TBR Football claim the Dutch defender is ‘emerging’ as a target for Tottenham Hotspur, Brighton and Hove Albion and Wolves, who are all eyeing left-sided centre-backs.

Struijk’s game has come on another level this season, with the 25-year-old returning from a long-term injury earlier this year to cement his status as a central figure at Leeds. He has also taken on the role of captain in Ethan Ampadu’s absence, forming one of the Championship’s outstanding defensive partnerships alongside Joe Rodon.

But that form, coupled with the relative rarity of naturally left-sided defenders, has caught the interest of top Premier League clubs and the report suggests the likes of Tottenham could ‘look to sign’ the defender in 2025 - there is no detail on a possible January approach. Struijk’s current contract runs until 2027 and Leeds are thought to be ‘trying’ to tie him down on longer terms.