Leeds United transfer news as Fulham boss outlines Harry Wilson contract talks and Whites move stance
Leeds United saw a late move for the Fulham and Wales winger fall through.
Fulham manager Marco Silva is confident Harry Wilson will commit his future to the Cottagers after a late-summer transfer to Leeds United fell through.
Leeds made a surprise deadline-day move for Wilson in their ultimately failed attempts to further strengthen Daniel Farke’s attacking unit, falling victim to a late change of heart from Fulham. Elland Road chiefs submitted a deal sheet as the deadline passed but were eventually left wanting as those at the other end of a potential transfer pulled out.
Managing director Robbie Evans told the YEP Leeds submitted an offer above the ‘right price’ and were given an indication a late deal for Wilson could be done with Fulham. That deal never materialised but speculation continued, particularly given the winger has now entered the final year of his Craven Cottage contract.
Since that potential move to Elland Road fell through, Wilson has started Fulham’s last two games including a 1-0 home win over Leeds and a 3-1 victory against Brentford in which he scored a lovely goal. And Cottagers boss Silva appears supremely confident this season will not be the 28-year-old’s last in West London.
“I know him very well, he's not a player that is with me just one month, two months or two years,” Silva told the Evening Standard. “It's his fifth season with us. It was my first signing in this football club when I joined and I know him very well. For me, it was never a problem and I know really how much he wants to stay in the club.
Marco Silva on Harry Wilson Leeds United ‘conversations’
“Of course, conversations between us and his representatives as well, and let's see what is going to happen, but I know really the aim of him is to stay in the football club, and if we can get an agreement, his future is going to be with us. He's 100 per cent sure, he's part of the business, of course he's looking for what is best for him like the club is trying to get the best for the football club, but I know what his aim is.
"I think it's normal, a player with the quality that he has and [into the] last year [of his] contract in terms of interest in him. For me, it was not a situation, that was the reason he started the first Premier League game before Deadline Day, and he had a great pre-season, probably was the player that had the best pre-season."
That failed move for Wilson only heightened concerns over a lack of goal threat at Leeds, whose only Premier League goal in three games up to that point has been a Lukas Nmecha penalty. The Whites then drew another blank at Fulham but produced a clinical attacking performance to beat Wolves 3-1 on Saturday.
New signings Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Anton Stach and Noah Okafor were all on target for the Whites at Molineux, with all three goals coming inside 14 first-half minutes. Leeds are now 12th in the Premier League and welcome Bournemouth to Elland Road on Saturday.