‘Sources say’… 26-year-old Premier League player now has a very ‘attractive’ offer from Leeds United

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The clock is very much ticking for Leeds United to complete any remaining transfer business.

The Whites are still yet to make a single new signing in January and having been patient to wait for some of their key targets to become available, the club are about to find out if that strategy paid dividends.

Defence is very much the focus for Leeds over the next five days but there have also been links to a couple of wide attackers, which would indicate it is an area they want to strengthen.

One potential target who has been mentioned is Manuel Benson, with Leeds having said to have continued talks with Burnley earlier this week, as they look to push through a move.

And now speaking to Give Me Sport, journalist Ben Jacobs has provided a new update on the situation. He says both Leeds and Southampton have ‘attractive offers on the table’, but it is the latter currently in the lead.

Leeds have made ‘attractive’ offer for Benson

He said: “By Championship standards he’s obviously a top-quality player, very confident in the league and it’s no real surprise therefore that both Leeds and Southampton are in the race.

“Some sources say Southampton are slightly ahead of Leeds but I think with nothing done, we’re just going to have to wait and see because it’s two attractive offers on the table for the player.”

Amid comments from Jacobs that Southampton are winning the race, it has previously been reported that Benson is actually keen on a move to the Saints, though due to strained off-field relations between the two clubs, it makes a deal difficult.

With Leeds clearly very much in the running, it could therefore allow them to steal a march on the 26-year-old attacker, who scored 12 goals in Burnley’s promotion winning campaign last season.

Leeds lost Dan James to injury for the next couple of weeks in Wednesday’s win over Norwich City and while there is plenty of depth on the wing, a new left-footed right-winger would provide the squad with better balance.