Leeds United 'interested' in £6m Sunderland star as ex-Derby County youngster also on Elland Road radar

Leeds United gained ground in the Championship title race on Saturday after beating Queens Park Rangers 2-0. Goals either side of half-time from Jayden Bogle and Joel Piroe ensured all three points remained at Elland Road, with Daniel Farke’s side dominant again, eventually cutting the gap on Sunderland from four points to two following their 2-2 draw against Coventry City.

A number of Leeds stars will now jet off to represent their countries with the November international break underway, while Farke continues to work with what he has at Thorp Arch ahead of next week’s trip to Swansea. And as the dust settles on Saturday’s win, the YEP has rounded up some of the latest stories surrounding the club.

Cirkin links

Leeds have been linked with a sensational January move for Sunderland’s Dennis Cirkin. The Sunday Mirror (via the Sunderland Echo) claim Elland Road recruitment chiefs are interested in a mid-season move for the left-back, albeit a switch from Wearside to West Yorkshire is unlikely.

Cirkin has been one of Sunderland’s standout players this season, playing every minute and scoring two goals as incoming head coach Regis Le Bris mounts an unexpected early promotion push. The 22-year-old received plenty of praise on Saturday for his latest effort, bursting forward before rifling a 25-yard effort beyond the Coventry goalkeeper.

Those performances look to have caught the eye of Leeds amid uncertainty over the future of current first-choice left-back Junior Firpo, whose contract expires in the summer. There is no suggestion how much Sunderland could demand for Cirkin but the Sunderland Echo claim in a follow-up report that Tottenham inserted a £6million buy-back option when selling him to the Black Cats in 2021 - although that clause expired in the summer.

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Brown race

Leeds are among a host of Premier League and Championship clubs thought to be keeping a close eye on Gent’s Archie Brown. TBR Football claim the Whites have been ‘watching Brown closely’ but face serious competition from top-flight clubs including Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham.

Brown took the brave step to leave Derby for Switzerland in search of first-team football in 2021, going on to play regularly for FC Lausanne-Sport and then Belgian outfit Gent. The 22-year-old left-sided defender has a goal and two assists in 14 league appearances this season and earned recent call-ups to the England Elite Development Squad.

West Ham, Brentford and Fulham have also been linked with interest in Brown, who is contracted at Gent until 2027. As with links to Cirkin, reported interest in the left-back comes amid uncertainty over Firpo’s long-term future in West Yorkshire.