Leeds United target ‘turns down’ Elland Road move after clubs had reached ‘advanced talks’ over €10m deal

Leeds United target Joseph Paintsil has told KRC Genk he wants to remain with the Belgian club after reports last week claimed Leeds United were in advanced talks to sign the forward.

The 25-year-old joined the Belgian top-flight outfit in 2018 but widespread reports on Friday from Sky Sports and The Athletic, revealed Leeds had submitted a €10 million bid (€8 million + €2 million in add-ons).

Earlier this summer, Southampton had proposed a swap deal with Genk which would have seen striker Paul Onuachu heading the other way, but both players are said to have turned down the transfer.

However, Bob Faesen of HLN Sport in Belgium has reported that the winger is set to remain at Genk after the transfer deadline passes on Friday night, as he has made it clear he does not want to leave the club. Faesen reported on Friday evening that Genk had rejected Leeds’ €10 million offer for Paintsil.

Paintsil enjoyed his best season for Genk last term, as he made 30 league appearances, netting 14 goals and providing 14 assists as the club missed out on the title by a single point following a dramatic final day

Leeds are expected to strengthen their squad before Friday’s deadline after completing a deal for Joel Piroe on a four-year deal last week. The striker scored on his Whites debut as Daniel Farke’s side picked up a 4-3 win over Ipswich Town on Saturday to claim their first victory of the Championship season.

Leeds are said to be interested in a move for Fortuna Dusseldorf midfielder Ao Tanaka. According to BILD, Tanaka is pushing for a departure from Fortuna this summer, and Leeds are said to have submitted an offer. Stuttgart are said to have made an offer worth just over £2million, but it’s claimed the Whites have gone above that amount in their offer. No agreement has been reached just yet, but the report claims Leeds remain in talks with Fortuna chiefs.

The 24-year-old is a 19-time Japan international who has made 22 league appearances for Fortuna since arriving from Japan in 2022. Tanaka’s headline-grabbing moment came when he scored the winner against Spain during the most recent World Cup.