Leeds United have seen a number of transfer targets move elsewhere this summer.
Leeds United-linked winger Dilane Bakwa has been the subject of a £26million bid from Premier League rivals Nottingham Forest, according to reports.
Bakwa is one of several wide players to have been linked with a possible move to Elland Road this summer, with the focus on marquee attacking signings for the final month. Leeds are believed to have looked into a possible deal but attention at the time was on Igor Paixão, a ‘stretch target’ who had only recently become available.
Nottingham Forest appear to have made their move for winger Bakwa with journalist Sacha Tavolieri reporting on an initial bid worth €25million (£21.9m) plus €5m (£4.4m) in add-ons. RC Strasbourg, however, are believed to be demanding at least £30m for the 22-year-old, who registered six goals and eight assists in Ligue 1 last season.
Clubs in the Premier League and Serie A are said to be keeping a close eye on the situation, with Strasbourg effectively valuing Bakwa in line with Paixão, whose move from Feyenoord to Marseille cost just over £30m. It is unclear if Forest plan to return with a second offer, having only recently signed right-winger Dan Ndoye from Bologna in a £34m.
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Bakwa enjoyed an excellent campaign on the right of Strasbourg’s attacking unit, with the French side finishing seventh and therefore qualifying for the Europa Conference League. The winger didn’t quite enjoy the level of productivity Paixão did at Feyenoord but was excellent in one-v-one situations and has lots of potential.
Leeds United transfer stance amid Dilane Bakwa report
Like Marseille with Paixão, Forest would be able to offer Bakwa European football if they return with another bid. Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are currently set for the Europa League but could drop into the Europa Conference League if Crystal Palace win an appeal over their demotion.
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It remains to be seen if Leeds will seriously rival the likes of Forest for Bakwa, with no public progress on alternative targets since Paixão picked Marseille. The Whites have been linked with interest in Leicester City’s Bilal El Khannouss, who reports suggest has a £24.5m release clause that expires next week.
Leeds have a little over three weeks to finalise their summer business and alongside a marquee winger, are in need of a first-choice striker. At present, only Lukas Nmecha and Joel Piroe are readily available with neither Patrick Bamford nor Mateo Joseph in next season’s plans.
Fulham striker Rodrigo Muniz has been regularly linked with a move to Elland Road but as of yet, Leeds aren’t thought to have reacted to a £32m bid that was rejected earlier this summer. The Brazilian remains on their radar, however, with hope a striker arrival at Craven Cottage might open the door to a move down the line.
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