Leeds United have been handed a blow in their pursuit of a potential January target as the transfer window edges ever closer to reopening again.
Daniel Farke says January will be quiet at Leeds but that certainly does not stop work from going on in the background, particularly when there are positions which could clearly do with upgrading.
Farke is keen not to upset the balance of the squad at the midway point of the season but Leeds cannot afford to miss out on promotion again, and so January is something they should make use of.
While Illan Meslier could and should be replaced, Leeds’ main priority looks as though it will be at the other end.
A new number 10 would seriously help Leeds, while another striker also wouldn’t go amiss considering Farke doesn’t seem to know his strongest option even at the halfway point of the season.
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Leeds handed Dor Turgeman blow ahead of January
There have already been several names linked with a move to Elland Road and given a couple of them are strikers, it does indicate Leeds are at least looking at that market.
Aston Villa’s Louie Barry is among those mentioned as a potential target, though Leeds will face competition from Sheffield United and several others.
However, the most concrete link so far is Maccabi Tel Aviv’s Dor Turgeman, with reports from earlier this month indicating Leeds have officially approached the Israeli side.
If the latest update from Mozzart Sport is to be believed, though, then Leeds look likely to come up empty-handed, with manager Žarko Lazetić making his stance clear.
Lazetić is said to have informed Tel Aviv club leaders he does not want Turgeman going anywhere in January, despite previous claims Leeds could sign him for just over £4 million.
As such, only a ‘fairytale offer’ from Leeds would be enough to tempt Tel Aviv into selling, and so it remains to be seen whether they would be willing to splash that sort of cash in January.
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What Lazetić told media about interest in Turgeman
Not only has Lazetić told those behind-the-scenes at Tel Aviv that he doesn’t want Turgeman going anywhere, but also the media.
Lazetić listed off a number of attributes in which Turgeman has as a striker, a large indication that he wants to continue working with him until next summer at least.
He said: “He has become a beast on the field, he is great in pressing, he scores goals. He is playing in really great shape.”
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