Leeds United now want to sign 23-year-old West Ham player who seriously impressed Declan Rice

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Leeds United are in the market for a new right-back and there is a new name to add to the list of players they want.

The Whites have already lost two right-backs inside the opening 11 days of the window, with Djed Spence having had his season-long-loan from Tottenham cut short last week.

Luke Ayling then followed him out of the exit door on Wednesday as he made the move to Middlesbrough, bringing his seven-and-a-half-year stint at Elland Road to an end.

However, all focus must now be on finding a replacement with Farke admitting in his press conference earlier this afternoon that there are some positions which need strengthening.

And after strong links to Burnley’s Connor Roberts, Phil Hay is now reporting that Leeds are interested in signing West Ham United’s Ben Johnson on loan for the rest of the season.

Leeds interested in West Ham’s Johnson

Johnson is out of contract at West Ham in the summer and has found game time hard to come by this season, having started just one Premier League match so far.

However, the 23-year-old is just eight appearances shy of the 100 mark for the Hammers, having progressed into the first team from their academy back in 2018.

Johnson’s best period at the Hammers came back in the 2021/22 season, where he made 34 appearances in all competitions, including 16 starts in the Premier League.

That season saw him win praise from Arsenal and England star Declan Rice, who was a former teammate of Johnson’s until he left West Ham last summer.

Johnson had just played 90 minutes of a Carabao Cup tie against Manchester City, where he helped his side keep a clean sheet on the way to a penalty shootout victory.

He is a two-footed player who is capable of playing at full-back on both sides, which could fit Leeds’ remit this month given that they could do with both a right and left-back.