There remains little time in the transfer window for Leeds United, and very little time before the start of the new Premier League season.
Leeds United play just one more friendly before opening their season against Everton on August 18th.
This weekend, Leeds United play AC Milan in a friendly match in Dublin, and it will be their final game before they take on Everton at Elland Road upon their return to the Premier League.
For Daniel Farke’s side, the start of the new season comes perhaps slightly too quickly, with Leeds still in need of one or two more players before the end of the transfer window, particularly in the final third of attack.
So far this summer, Leeds United have signed seven new players, with goalkeeper Lucas Perri joining from Lyon last week in what was the last deal that the club completed.
It’s clear that the 49ers and Farke still want some more new players, with attack looking like the main focus, especially following the missed signing of Igor Paixao who has since joined Marseille in a big money move from Feyenoord.
Another name who’s been linked with a move to West Yorkshire on and off throughout the summer is former Norwich City man Gabriel Sara, who is currently playing for Galatasaray in Turkey.
Galatasaray v Basaksehir - Turkish Super League
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Major update on Leeds United transfer target Gabriel Sara
Sara is someone who Leeds United have liked for a while now. Last year, Leeds wanted to sign Sara from Norwich City before he joined Galatasaray in a £20m move, and he’s since impressed in the Super Lig with two goals and eight assists in 31 games for the Turkish Giants in 2024/25.
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Going into this summer, Leeds United were once again linked with Sara, but the 26-year-old midfielder has multiple suitors, with most coming from the Premier League. And it seems like Manchester United are the team making the most moves to sign Sara this summer.
Reports last month revealed how Man United were weighing up a bid for Sara, and now Turkish outlet Takvim have confirmed that United are indeed preparing an offer for Sara, reportedly worth around the £40m mark. Galatasaray don’t want to sell Sara, but will consider an offer in the region of €40m (£34.8m), as Leeds remain among the interested teams.
Leeds United manaer Daniel Farke looks down during a Championship game against Hull City.
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What Daniel Farke has said about midfield signings at Leeds United
Already this summer, Leeds United have signed two new central midfielders in Sean Longstaff and Anton Stach. The pair cost more than £30m combined and it looks as though they could even be the starting two holding midfielders for Leeds throughout much of next season.
Farke is clearly going for a more physical and tall team than we’ve seen in recent years at Leeds United and it looks as though the central midfield department, at least the holding midfield department, might already be finished.
Speaking last month, Farke suggested that he’s completed his midfield, saying: “So for me, it’s important that the core bones of the group are there right now. So that means the central defence, also the central midfield is more or less sorted.”
A move for Sara then might well be out of the question, but he is arguably a more attacking midfielder than both Stach and Longstaff and it’s known that Farke still wants to sign a new number 10 this summer.
At £40m, however, Sara might well be out of the Whites’ reach with Leeds having spent half of their £150m transfer budget this summer.