Leeds United are in the process of securing their third addition of the summer transfer window in Sebastiaan Bornauw of VfL Wolfsburg.
The giant centre-back played with former Leeds United man Josuha Guilavogui with Wolfsburg, and spent numerous seasons alongside new Leeds recruit Lukas Nmecha as well.
Bornauw is having a medical with Leeds after they agreed a fee of just over £5 million for the Belgian to reunite with Nmecha immediately and make his first steps into the Premier League.
Like other signings, Bornauw’s physical profile makes sense for Leeds, Funnily enough Daniel Farke even tried to sign Bornauw for Norwich City back in 2021.
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Bundesliga duo lead the way in the race for Leeds’ Max Wober
Bornauw will join Jaka Bijol in bolstering Leeds’ backline, even if they are yet to make additions at full-back. He will allow Ethan Ampadu to feature in midfield regularly.
That leaves his competition as Bijol, Joe Rodon, Pascal Struijk, and Max Wober. However, it’s been said that Wober has been asked to leave Leeds following the club’s promotion.
Graham Smyth of The Yorkshire Evening Post has revealed in the same Bornauw announcement that Wober is expected to depart this summer after he exercised a loan exit clause after the club’s relegation to the Championship.
The Austrian suffered an injury-hit season on his return to Elland Road and barely featured in the title-winning campaign. Smyth reports that Leeds are anticipating a permanent exit for the Austrian this summer.
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In the wake of this news, Leeds United News sources have learned that Borussia Monchengladbach are one of the clubs in the Bundesliga eyeing a move, having had the 27-year-old on loan in 2023/24.
However, perhaps more interestingly, Wolfsburg could look to strike a deal after selling Bornauw to Leeds. It would be something of a swap and they are the most active in their pursuit of the defender currently.
However, other Bundesliga sides are also in the mix as well, with Wober having impressed in the 25 appearances he made two seasons ago. The Austrian’s most likely destination is back to Germany this summer.
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Max Wober will be sold by Leeds for around £5 million
The news of Wober leaving has delighted Leeds fans already, with Leeds reportedly wanting around £5 million for Wober two-and-a-half seasons after signing him.
In PSR terms, that will not be a loss and may even bank Leeds a small sum of profit, but it is a hit on the £10 million paid back in January 2023.
If he joins Wolfsburg, both teams will have swapped central defenders for similar cost this summer. However, both will benefit financially due to how PSR allows them to account the fees.
In Bornauw, Leeds are securing a player who has been injury-prone in recent years. That has also been the case for Wober. As fourth-choice for centre-back, they may well feel they have upgraded, though.