Reports coming out of Turkey have all revealed how Aston Villa are set to battle Leeds United in pursuit of one of the Whites’ long-standing transfer targets this summer.
Leeds United are joining Aston Villa in the Premier League next season. And the Whites will be hoping to emulate what Villa have done since their promotion to the top flight back in 2019: the Villans have achieved incredible 4th, 7th and 6th place finishes in the last three seasons.
At Elland Road, the 49ers want Leeds United to be playing in Europe within five years, and the likes of Unai Emery’s Aston Villa have certainly proved that that’s achievable.
But there’s a way to go. So far this summer Leeds United have signed three new players and many more are expected before the summer transfer window slams shut on September 1st.
And we may now see Leeds and Villa become entangled in a transfer battle that’s already been rumbling on for some time now, with Leeds United having been linked right at the start of the summer transfer window.
The player in question? Semih Kilicsoy.
Unai Emery ahead of an Aston Villa clash.
Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images
Aston Villa join race to sign Leeds United transfer target Semih Kilicsoy
Right at the start of the summer, reports claimed that Leeds United were readying a bid for Kilicsoy. It was even reported that Farke had sent delegates out to Turkey to hold talks with the 19-year-old, who’s now poised to leave on a permanent deal after Besiktas signed Tammy Abraham on loan from Roma. Another player linked with a move to Elland Road.
The latest on Kilicsoy comes from Fotomac. They report that Villa, who wanted to sign the £9m-rated Kilicsoy last summer too, are now readying second attempt to sign the Turkish international this summer. Multiple sources in Turkey are reporting the news and all suggest that Aston Villa are serious about signing the attacker this time round.
In June, it was reported that FC Utrecht were leading the race to sign Kilicsoy. But Villa now joining could be bad news for them and for Leeds United who’ve clearly done their homework on Kilicsoy this summer.
Besiktas striker Semih Kilicsoy on the bench during a game against Fenerbahce.
Photo by BURAK BASTURK/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images
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Leeds have already signed Lukas Nmecha this summer, though Farke needs much more firepower adding to his ranks if Leeds United are to stand a chance of beating the drop next season.
Right now, Kilicsoy seems like one of a number of attacking players who Leeds have kept tabs on. Another is Timothy Weah at Juventus, and he might be more of a prime target after reports last week revealed how Leeds United and Everton are leading the race for Weah.
Elsewhere, Josh Sargent and Dominic Calvert-Lewin keep on being linked with a move to Elland Road.
The latest there is that Norwich City want £16million for Sargent, who has also been linked with Werder Bremen, whilst Manchester United have joined the race for Calvert-Lewin, who’s not understood to be that much of an active target for Leeds.
All in all, with Villa now primed to move for Kilicsoy, there doesn’t seem to be any attackers close to joining Leeds United right now.