Norwich City 'respond' to £7m Jonathan Rowe bid as Leeds United's Ryan Kent stance outlined

Leeds United are now just days away from kicking off their 2024/25 Championship season, with Portsmouth the visitors to Elland Road on Saturday. Daniel Farke’s men completed a perfect pre-season with Saturday’s 2-1 win against a frustrated Valencia side - having beaten Harrogate Town, Hannover 96 and Schalke 04 beforehand - and will hope to carry that momentum through to competitive action, with automatic promotion the goal once again.

An excellent weekend on the pitch was somewhat dampened by matters off it, with the £25million-plus departure of Crysencio Summerville to West Ham confirmed shortly after the game. But Leeds have wasted little time zoning in on his successor, with links to Jonathan Rowe and reports of a £7m offer. Interest in Rowe is the main story at the moment but there will be plenty more to come before the August 30 deadline, and the YEP has rounded up some of the latest stories surrounding the club.

Rowe latest

Leeds are thought to have tested the waters with a bid for Rowe but it appears that offer has been quickly knocked back by Norwich City. Football Insider claims the opening amount is ‘nowhere near’ the valuation put on Rowe by those in charge at Carrow Road, although there is no suggestion how much it might take to bring them to the table.

Norwich were widely expected to cash in on at least one star but the £20m sale of Gabriel Sara to Galatasaray has somewhat eased financial pressures at Carrow Road, while there is also interest in Adam Idah and Josh Sargent from elsewhere. This most recent report also backs up local media claims that despite Rowe being into the final year of his contract, there is a 12-month extension option waiting to be triggered.

It remains to be seen whether Leeds will return with an improved offer, and their reaction to rejection has differed so far this summer. The Whites upped their bid to eventually sign Jayden Bogle but are yet to do the same for Dejan Ljubicic, having seen a £3.3m proposal knocked back earlier this summer.

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Kent stance

Reports of renewed interest in Ryan Kent are thought to be wide of the mark with Leeds not interested in signing the winger this summer. Leeds Live reports that club sources have been ‘keen to kill’ recent speculation regarding a move for Kent, who has been linked with a move to Elland Road for several years.

Kent’s name has popped up regularly in media reports discussing Leeds’ transfer plans ever since Marcelo Bielsa’s time in West Yorkshire, and with the 27-year-old looking set to leave Fenerbahce, inevitable claims resurfaced. Outlets in Turkey even went as far as to suggest a €3m (£2.57m) bid had already been tabled.

But those claims are believed to be inaccurate, with Leeds having moved on from Kent several transfer windows ago. Wide reinforcements have become a priority but the club are looking elsewhere, namely Rowe but also with reported loan interest in Crystal Palace’s Jesurun Rak-Sakyi.