Deadline day after 2024’s summer window saw Leeds United sign two players in the form of Ao Tanaka and Isaac Schmidt – but it could quite easily have been three additions in 24 hours.
Ao Tanaka has gone on to become arguably the signing of the season in the Championship. Named in the Championship Team of the Season, Leeds paid a bargain fee of £3.4m to Dusseldorf for the Japan star.
Things have not gone to plan for Isaac Schmidt, struggling to get much game time and only really used by Daniel Farke in the latter stages of the season from the bench. Schmidt’s Leeds future is up in the air.
But Leeds were not only in the market for Schmidt and Tanaka. Indeed, Daniel Farke wanted a no.10 and an ambitious bid was submitted by Leeds for Dinamo Zagreb gem Martin Baturina, to the tune of £25m.
What happened after Leeds United tabled Martin Baturina offer
In the early hours of deadline day little under a year ago, Leeds tabled the whopping offer for a player that is deemed one of the best young talents to come out of Croatian football since Luka Modric.
Manuel Neuer has described Baturina as “very strong”, with the 22-year-old laying on another 18 goals and assists this season. Zagreb actually accepted the £25m offer from Elland Road on deadline day.
However, and pretty predictably, Leeds were turned down by Baturina himself. Still a Championship club, Leeds were going after a player that has been touted with moves for some of Europe’s biggest sides.
Leeds surely back in for Baturina after Fabrizio Romano news
Baturina remained at Zagreb after Leeds’ offer. But now, Fabrizio Romano has an update. He posted on X: “Understand Martin Baturina’s expected to leave Dinamo Zagreb this summer for fee around €20/25m.
Romano continued in his post on social media to the millions of football fans he has gathered: “English and Italian clubs in addition to Eintracht Frankfurt have already made contact over potential move.”
With Leeds now much better placed to sign Baturina thanks to promotion to the Premier League, surely The Whites will be one of those English clubs eyeing a move this summer – and Leeds need a no.10.
Brenden Aaronson’s form has been up and down and in the Premier League, Leeds need better. Baturina is that. With promotion, previous interest and English clubs interested – surely Leeds are after him again.
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