Leeds United avoided relegation from the Premier League in their first season back in the big time, and Daniel Farke is not satisfied with just staying up.
The German head coach has made it clear that he is ambitious and wants to take the club to the next level, which could mean aiming for European football next term.
There is already work going on behind the scenes to improve the squad ahead of the 2026/27 campaign, as the club are reportedly in talks with centre-back Danilho Doekhi.
Danilho-Doekhi
The Union Berlin defender's contract is due to expire at the end of June and the Whites are hoping to snap him up on a free transfer to improve their options at the back.
German giants Borussia Dortmund are also said to be keen on the Dutch star, though, which means that it will not be a straightforward deal to get done this summer.
Doekhi played all 34 games for Union in the Bundesliga and scored five goals from a centre-back position, suggesting that he could add another goal threat to Farke's squad.
Whilst the Dutchman looks like he could be a solid addition to the squad on paper, the club are said to be looking at a Premier League star who would be an even better signing.
danilho-doekhi-union-berlin
According to TEAMtalk, Leeds United are one of a number of clubs interested in a deal to sign Manchester City centre-back Nathan Ake in the summer transfer window.
The report claims that the Whites and Crystal Palace have both made contact to express an interest in the defender, but they have yet to hold formal talks or make any concrete offers for his services.
Manchester City's Nathan Ake
It adds that a bid of £20m could be accepted by the Citizens, who are prepared to allow him to leave this summer, and that is the figure that Leeds will have to hit.
Bournemouth, Everton, and Roma are also said to be keen on the Netherlands international, who is set to play at the World Cup for his country next month.
Why Nathan Ake would be better than Danilho Doekhi for Leeds
Leeds must push to beat the likes of Bournemouth, Palace, Roma, and Everton to Ake's signature because he would be an even better signing than Doekhi this summer.
Bayern Munich's Harry Kane in action with 1. FC Union Berlin's Danilho Doekhi and Diogo Leite
One of the concerns over a deal for the Union defender is that he has never played in England before and there is no guarantee that he would be able to adapt to English football to be as effective in the Premier League as he has been in the Bundesliga.
Ake, meanwhile, is one of the most experienced Premier League players on the market, with 253 games in the division under his belt for Chelsea, Bournemouth, and Manchester City to date.
|Most PL appearances by Dutch players|
|Player|Matches|
|---|
|George Boateng|384|
|Virgil van Dijk|339|
|Dennis Bergkamp|315|
|Edwin van der Sar|313|
|Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink|288|
|Mario Melchiot|284|
|Robin van Persie|280|
|Nathan Ake|253|
|Erik Pieters|225|
|Tim Krul|222|
Only seven Dutch players in history have played more games in the English top-flight than the left-footed defender, including former Leeds striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.
The 31-year-old star played 18 times in the league for City in the 2025/26 campaign and provided strong defending for Pep Guardiola, winning 65% of his overall duels and 73% of his ground duels.
Manchester City's Nathan Ake arrives before the match
Doekhi, meanwhile, won 63% of his overall duels and 56% of his ground duels in the Bundesliga, which suggests that Ake would be a more dominant option at the back for Leeds.
The Cityzens star is also an incredibly decorated player. He has won six Premier League titles, four with City and two with Chelsea, the Champions League with City, and the Europa League with Chelsea, winning the treble in the 2022/23 campaign.
On top of that, Ake is more established at international level than the Union star. He has been capped 58 times by the Netherlands and is in the squad for this year's World Cup, whilst Doekhi has never been capped by his country and is not in the squad for the tournament.
Ake, therefore, would be a much better signing for Leeds because he is proven in the Premier League, is a vastly experienced player to add to the squad, a proven winner, and he is judged to be a better player than Doekhi by his national team.
That is why the Whites must pay the £20m fee that City want for the Dutchman to add him to their squad for the 2026/27 campaign and beyond.
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