It’s not been a good week for Leeds United in the transfer market. Other than the signing of Sebastiaan Bornauw, the Whites are being shown up by Sunderland.
Leeds United have signed Sebastiaan Bornauw from Wolfsburg in a £5million deal. The centre-back becomes the third new signing at Elland Road this summer and it looks like another shrewd purchase from Daniel Farke’s side.
And it comes amid a wave of activity in the transfer market where the Whites are regarded, and where their promotion rivals Sunderland are concerned too. The pair have been fighting over a number of transfer targets, but it’s the Black Cats who are coming out on top.
First, Sunderland won the race to sign Habib Diarra who Leeds had made multiple bids to sign. Then it was revealed that Sunderland had agreed a deal to sign Noah Sadiki from Union SG, following reports that Leeds had seen a bid rejected for Sadiki already this summer.
And the Black Cats aren’t stopping there with the club now looking set to sign one of Farke’s potential Illan Meslier replacements.
Leeds United transfer target Djordje Petrovic agrees Sunderland move
After Diarra and Sadiki, Sunderland now look set to sign Djordje Petrovic: yet another Leeds target. Recent reports revealed how Leeds United were keeping tabs on Petrovic who was said to be at the top of Chelsea’s for-sale list this summer, having been omitted from the Blues’ Club World Cup squad.
But journalist Sacha Tavolieri has revealed on X that Sunderland are ‘close to finalising the signing’ of Petrovic in a deal worth £21.6million, with the Serbian international set to sign a five-year deal at the Stadium of Light.
Leeds United look set to sell Illan Meslier this summer after his disastrous 2024/25. Farke has a handful of goalkeeper targets and Petrovic certainly looked to be among the prime candidates to come in and replace Meslier, who has interest from Turkey and elsewhere.
Leeds United must turn their attentions to another goalkeeper
This is becoming a frustratingly familiar story for Leeds United this summer. But there remains almost two months left of the window and plenty of time for the club to fill in the gaps, though there’s no doubting that doing business early is preferable.
Already this summer, Leeds missed out on Caoimhin Kelleher who joined Brentford on a permanent deal from Liverpool, with Petrovic now heading to Wearside. If it’s left too late then Farke might even have to go into the new campaign with Meslier or Karl Darlow in goal, which certainly wouldn’t be ideal.
But Aaron Ramsdale remains available. Ramsdale is poised to leave Southampton following the club’s relegation and Leeds have been linked since the turn of the year, though the Whites may have to cough up £20million to sign the former Arsenal man, who has interest from elsewhere in the Premier League too.
He could be a safe pair of hands to help Leeds battle against the drop next season, and potentially be the club’s no.1 for some years to come.
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