Leeds United are facing a mammoth task in the coming weeks to ensure Daniel Farke has the squad capable of surviving in the Premier League. The lack of attacking reinforcements has frustrated the manager, who is not happy with the limited options he has up front.
The Leeds boss has not tried to hide his disappointment when it comes to the lack of options he has in attack before the start of the new season. He doesn’t believe his squad can cope with the demands of a long Premier League season if they do not get help from the market in the next couple of weeks.
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Leeds are in the hunt for a striker, a winger and another attacking midfielder before the window closes on September 1st. However, they are facing increased competition from certain targets, with more clubs getting involved in the race for a few players in the final weeks of the summer shopping season.
The Whites are determined to get a few deals over the line, but some of these negotiations could get beyond their control if the club do not finalise the transfer terms as soon as possible.
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Newcastle United accelerate efforts to land Leeds United target Bilal El Khannouss
Leeds made an early move on Bilal El Khannouss a few weeks back when they held talks with the player’s representatives and made it clear that they are prepared to trigger his release clause.
However, since then, the move has become more complicated as Tottenham are considering signing him following James Maddison’s injury last week.
But the real pressure is coming from Newcastle United, who have joined the race for the Leicester City attacking midfielder in the ongoing transfer window.
According to the Daily Telegraph, the Magpies are now making a real push to try and secure a deal to take El Khannouss to move to St. James’ Park this summer.
It has become more complicated for Leeds as the release clause figure is more than the £30m mark, rather than the £24.5m figure mentioned earlier.
Newcastle believe they can beat Leeds to his signature because of their financial strength and Champions League football.
The release clause details explain Leeds’ stalling on the deal
Leeds were prepared to pay the £24.5m release clause, and also offered the player a lucrative contract to move to Elland Road this summer.
However, Leicester’s insistence on getting more money and the fresh details on the clause explain why the negotiations have stalled over the last couple of weeks.
With Newcastle involved now, Leeds are no longer the favourites to sign the Moroccan, who is likely to prefer joining a club in the Champions League.
It is also unclear if Leeds are prepared to pay more than £30m for an attacking midfielder when they still have to sign a striker in the coming weeks.
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