Leeds United 'hope to strike' Jonathan Rowe deal for less than £10m as Championship pair 'join race' for Liverpool star

Leeds United are just four days away from kicking off their 2024/25 season and anticipation is really starting to grow in West Yorkshire. Daniel Farke’s side were back at Elland Road last weekend to beat Valencia 2-1 and complete a perfect pre-season, but focus is now on the serious stuff, with newly-promoted Portsmouth the visitors on Saturday. Between now and then, we’ll hear from Whites boss Farke and fans will hope to see developments in the transfer market as well.

Having sold Crysencio Summerville to West Ham United, Leeds are now in the market for a winger and Norwich City’s Jonathan Rowe looks to have been picked out as the prime target. But Farke is also keen for reinforcements in central midfield and at full-back, with a busy few weeks expected. With all that in mind, the YEP has rounded up some of the latest stories surrounding the club.

Rowe price-tag

Leeds are expected to continue in their pursuit of Rowe this summer and hope to land the 21-year-old for less than half the £25million-plus they received from West Ham for Summerville. HITC claims those in charge at Elland Road are aiming to ‘strike a deal’ worth less than £10m with current club Norwich, a slight increase on the reported initial bid of £7m.

The Telegraph initially reported a £7m bid would be put forward but that is thought to remain some way off Norwich’s valuation, with Rowe’s price-tag increasing after a breakout season in which he registered 13 goals and four assists. The England Under-21 international is into the final year of his contract at Carrow Road but there is a 12-month extension waiting to be triggered.

Leeds have shown a willingness to improve on opening offers, with the £5m deal for Jayden Bogle coming after Sheffield United rejected bids worth a reported £4m. It is unclear what kind of price Norwich would be happy with, if any at all, having brought in cash through the £20m sale of Gabriel Sara to Galatasaray over the weekend.

Leeds face another key season, so get closer to the action with our new newsletter - Inside Elland Road with Graham Smyth

Clark race

Bobby Clark emerged as a potential loan target for Leeds recently but the Liverpool midfielder is also attracting interest from across the Championship. The Athletic names Sheffield United, Coventry City and Norwich City as potential Championship rivals, while Red Bull Salzburg are exploring the possibility of a permanent move.

Clark made 13 appearances for Liverpool last season but looks set to find more regular football elsewhere this summer, having seen teammate Tyler Morton join Hull City on loan and develop into one of the Championship’s best young midfielders over the past 12 months. New manager Arne Slot is not thought to be in a rush regarding a decision and is keen to assess the 19-year-old before sanctioning any kind of move.

Liverpool are thought to want at least £12m to sell Clark but a temporary exit looks more likely at the moment, although they will almost certainly seek assurances over game-time when making a decision. Leeds have been unwilling to make such promises in recent windows and missed out on Fabio Carvalho in January thanks in part to that.