Bizarre Leeds United link set to join key Premier League rivals as £34m 'agreement' close for early opponents

Leeds United already have two fantastic summer signings through the door and are hard at work on other targets. As the YEP reported yesterday, they have drawn a line in the sand regarding Shea Charles amid a gap in valuation with Southampton, but interest remains in the likes of James Trafford and Julian Brandt.

Trafford is being tracked by Leeds who know competition for the Manchester City goalkeeper will be fierce, while Brandt’s father was at Thorp Arch recently as the free agent weighs up his next move. Alternative options in each position are also known to recruitment chiefs.

Leeds’ key Premier League rivals and early 2026/27 opponents have also been busy this summer. Below, the YEP rounds up some of the latest news from across the division - including a move for one bizarre early-summer Elland Road link.

Hidemasa Morita to join Hull City

Japanese midfielder Hidemasa Morita is set to join Hull City on a free transfer, following his departure from Portuguese outfit Sporting CP. According to BBC Radio Humberside editor Mike White, a deal has been agreed for the 31-year-old to join the newly-promoted Tigers with reports elsewhere adding a medical has been completed.

Leeds fans might recognise Morita’s name from earlier in the summer, with multiple reports from Portugal claiming a move to Elland Road was all but confirmed. When put to the club back in May, however, those suggestions were met with confusion and club sources said links with the player were 'nonsense.'

Bizarrely, even Morita’s agent was baffled by the links to Leeds in what was an unusual early-summer transfer link. The combative midfielder will indeed be at Elland Road next season, albeit in the black and gold of their Yorkshire rivals.

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Forest eye big-money defender

Nottingham Forest are reportedly closing in on a big-money move for Hidemasa’s former Sporting teammate, centre-back Ousmane Diomande. According to Fabrizio Romano, a package worth €40m (£34m) is close to being agreed with the Portuguese club already lining up Ibrahima Ba as a replacement.

Diomande’s name briefly emerged in reports surrounding Leeds’ centre-back pursuit earlier this summer, albeit as a right-footer he would not have fit the profile needed to replace Pascal Struijk. The Whites eventually agreed a £34m deal for Bosnian international Tarik Muharemovic.

Should Forest get a deal over the line in the next weeks, he will have a chance of making his competitive debut against Leeds. Daniel Farke’s side kick-off their 2026/27 campaign at the City Ground on Saturday August 22.

Fulham in Real Madrid talks

Fulham have reportedly opened talks with Real Madrid over their striker Gonzalo Garcia. The Athletic report a pursuit is being overseen by new Cottagers head coach Alvaro Arbeloa, who worked with the 22-year-old both with the Madrid youth academy and first-team.

Garcia has attracted plenty of European attention this summer with Madrid indicating they would be open to an exit. New manager Jose Mourinho is believed to like the striker but cannot guarantee a prominent role at the Bernabeu for the youngster, who has registered 13 goals and seven assists in 51 games since making his senior debut in 2023.

Fulham are currently short of attacking quality with experienced striker Raul Jimenez leaving after the expiration of his contract while last season’s top-scorer Wilson turned down fresh terms to join Leeds. Rodrigo Muniz - a key Whites target last summer - has struggled with injury recently.