Leeds United given transfer boost as Championship rival drops out of race

The competition Leeds United face in their reported pursuit of Burnley winger Manuel Benson seems to be dwindling down. The Whites were linked with a move for Benson on Thursday with Belgian reporter Sacha Tavolieri claiming the club had entered the race to sign him, with Leeds seeing him as a potential replacement for Wilfried Gnonto.

Whether Gnonto will leave the club this month remains to be seen and Daniel Farke may well be asked about that during Friday afternoon's press conference. If he were to move back to the Premier League, though, as has been reported, Leeds would be left looking for a replacement in the closing days of the transfer window.

Benson may well be an option in that case, then, and while there has been plenty of interest in the 26-year-old this month, clubs are reportedly beginning to drop out of contention. Hull Live are claiming Hull City, who were interested Benson at the start of the window, have decided to focus their energy on other targets.

The report claims that the Tigers won't be pursuing a move for Ryan Kent, either, who hasn't been linked with a move to Leeds but has been of interest to the club in previous windows. Benson is still being chased by United's promotion rivals Southampton apparently, though, with the same reporter claiming earlier this week that the Saints had made a second offer to sign the former Royal Antwerp man.

However, according to a Burnley Express article, relations are frosty between Southampton and Burnley after a failed move for Nathan Tella in the summer, and that could mean the Clarets are unwilling to sanction a move to the south coast for Benson. The winger has struggled for game time at Turf Moor this season, making just four Premier League appearances under Vincent Kompany.

He was one of Burnley's brightest last season, though, and the 12 goals he scored in the second tier were instrumental as the Clarets romped to the Championship title.