Leeds United 'strongly considering' £10m Wolves target as 16-goal MLS award winner 'followed'
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Leeds United will kick off 2025 as Championship frontrunners and Wednesday’s visit of Blackburn Rovers to Elland Road should hand them a chance to further cement their promotion credentials. Daniel Farke’s side had lost consecutive away-days a year ago to fall further away from the top-two and in stark contrast this time, won at Stoke City and Derby County to go clear at the top.
Focus inside the squad will be solely on Blackburn but Wednesday also represents the opening of the January transfer window. Farke has already predicted a quiet month and those inside the club have followed suit, but plans will be in place should anything need to happen. There will also be early interest in possible summer additions and with that in mind, the YEP has rounded up some of the latest stories surrounding the club.
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Leeds have been linked with a move for one of Farke’s former players at Borussia Monchengladbach, with reports of interest in Nico Elvedi. GiveMeSport claim Elland Road recruitment chiefs have ‘set their sights’ on a new defender at some point next year, with Swiss international Elvedi emerging on their radar.
Farke can boast arguably the Championship’s strongest defensive pairing in Pascal Struijk and Joe Rodon but cover is thin, particularly on the latter’s right-hand side where free agent Josuha Guilavogui - naturally a midfielder- is the only real alternative. Leeds are expected to stick with what they have for now but early plans will be laid out for summer additions, should promotion be achieved.
Elvedi would fit the bill as a right-footed centre-back and also had bags of top-level experience, having spent a decade at Farke’s former club Borussia Monchengladbach and picked up 56 Switzerland caps. The 28-year-old has previously been linked with a move to Wolves and is thought to be available for around £10million, but will only likely move if Premier League football is on offer at Elland Road come summer.
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Leeds have been named as a potential rival in RSC Anderlecht’s pursuit of Real Salt Lake star Diego Luna. Belgian outlet Voetbal Nieuws claim the 21-year-old American winger is being ‘followed’ in West Yorkshire and elsewhere, having enjoyed an excellent year in the MLS.
Luna registered eight goals and eight assists in 33 MLS games this year, enough to earn him the league’s Young Player of the Year award and a first cap for the US Men’s National Team. The left-footed right-winger went on trial at Anderlecht a few years back but did not secure a move, something the Belgian outfit now seem keen to rectify.
There is no rush for either party to get a deal over the line, with the report questioning whether Anderlecht sporting director Olivier Renard will ‘give it a try in the summer’. A move for the Real Salt Lake youngster would be expected to cost around €8m (£6.6m), with Luna set to enter the final 18 months of his current contract in June.