Leeds United have opened talks to sign a new midfielder ahead of the summer window but face big competition from Bundesliga giants Stuttgart to land the star’s signature.
Defeat to Portsmouth on Sunday has left Leeds United’s dreams of promotion in the balance. Daniel Farke’s men still remain top of the Championship but are only ahead thanks to a superior goal difference.
Burnley meanwhile, are back in third. Joey Barton thinks Leeds’ defeat has thrown the promotion race wide open, with the former Burnley midfielder hoping his old side can squeeze into the top two places.
Any potential first-team transfers will only be conducted when The Whites know which division they will be playing in next season. However, a report from Africa Foot claims Leeds are in talks for a midfielder.
Photo by Mahmut Serdar Alakus/Anadolu via Getty Images
Photo by Mahmut Serdar Alakus/Anadolu via Getty Images
Leeds open talks to sign Goztepe midfielder Anthony Dennis
Africa Foot say Leeds and Stuttgart have opened talks to sign Anthony Dennis from Turkish SuperLig side Goztepe this summer. Sources from Dennis’ agency, Elite Project Group, say talks opened last week.
The source says a fee of £4.2m is required to prize Dennis away from the Turkish outfit, with Dennis in good form. His displays have earned him a first Nigeria call-up ahead of the March international break.
Angus Kinnear is off to Everton and has been replaced, to some degree, by new director Peter McCormick but despite the change upstairs, it seems Leeds are still working hard in the transfer market even now.
Photo by Mehmet Emin Menguarslan/Anadolu via Getty Images
Photo by Mehmet Emin Menguarslan/Anadolu via Getty Images
Anthony Dennis likened to Wilfried Ndidi and Carlos Baleba
It is claimed in the report that 20-year-old Dennis is already being earmarked as Nigeria’s long-term replacement for experienced Leicester City midfielder Wilfried Ndidi, within the National Team set-up.
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Indeed, it is also claimed that he is being dubbed the ‘new Baleba’ after Georginio Rutter’s £23.2m Brighton teammate Carlos Baleba. Clearly, Dennis is thought of highly both in Turkey and in Nigeria.
Whether Leeds are truly in the market for Dennis remains to be seen and given Stuttgart are also keen, promotion to the Premier League is likely to be a necessity. But, one to watch ahead of the summer.