Leeds United linked with shock interest £17m star on Man City and PSG radar

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Leeds United could be set for a busy end to the January transfer window.

Leeds United have been linked with surprise interest in for Krasnodar attacking midfielder Eduard Spertsyan although a move before Monday’s deadline looks unlikely.

Elland Road recruitment chiefs now have less than 48 hours to conclude any January transfer business and while the month so far has been quiet, things could kick into gear late on. Daniel Farke has regularly admitted wanting more depth at No.10 and after missing out on Emi Buendia, could now look to another of his former players.

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Russian journalist Ivan Karpov has reported (via Sport24) of interest in Spertsyan, who Farke coached during his short spell at Russian Premier League outfit Krasnodar back in 2022. The 24-year-old has spent his entire career at Krasnodar but long been expected to make the step-up to top-level European football, with previous links to the likes of Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and Ajax.

But after those reports surfaced, Spertsyan appeared to pour cold water on hope of a January transfer. "I had offers from European clubs this winter, but you should ask the club about that – I am here for now and will continue playing for another six months,” he told RB Sport (via Sportaran). “Was I not interested in the offers? The clubs were in discussions among themselves, I don’t know,"

With the January window into its final moments, now is the time reports of interest need to be taken with a pinch of salt, particularly those linking Leeds with a completely new player who has never been previously named as a target for the Whites. Farke has also made no secret that any new additions would need to fit within the club’s budget.

Who is Eduard Spertsyan?

Having burst onto the scene as a teenager back in 2018, Spertsyan emerged on the radar of elite-level clubs across Europe including City, PSG, Ajax, AC Milan and Marseille. That interest never materialised into anything concrete but Scottish Premiership giants Celtic were reportedly keen on the attacking midfielder ahead of this window.

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The Russian-born Armenian international operates most effectively in the No.10 role, although he can also play out wide if needed. This season, he has registered an impressive six goals and three assists across 18 Russian Premier League appearances.

And that kind of form is not a flash in the pan either, with Spertsyan now into his fourth full season as a regular starter at Krasnodar, a period in which he has registered 35 goals and 19 assists in 100 appearances. The creative midfielder also has 13 caps for the Armenian national team and harbours hope of a European move.

"Yes I want to play in Europe soon, but I know I’ve got to fight and work for it,” he admitted recently. “I don’t want to leave here by running away or with a helicopter! I like being at Krasnodar, but I want to try to go to Europe while I have the chance. I don’t know what can happen there. I’m confident and I think I can achieve even bigger goals.”

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Spertsyan has long been tipped for a top European move and so the likelihood of him dropping into the Championship would be low on the face of it, but Leeds’ Championship rivals have shown it can be done, particularly if the club’s manager has previous links. Regis Le Bris welcomed his former Lorient star, Enzo Le Fee, to Sunderland on loan from AS Roma earlier this month while Sporting CP’s Michael Edwards looks set to join Burnley, who are coached by his former Tottenham teammate Scott Parker.

That past relationship offered Leeds some hope of signing Buendia before he eventually joined Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen. But it could now be put to use in landing another of Farke’s former stars, if these reports of interest in Spertsyan are true.

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