Signing a new number 10 looks like it will quickly become a transfer priority for Leeds United this summer, with Daniel Farke having so far bolstered the defence, the centre of midfield, and in attack.
Leeds United have now signed six new players after completing a double deal to sign midfield duo Sean Longstaff and Anton Stach.
Earlier this week, Leeds United confirmed a £17 million signing of Stach from Hoffenheim, and he and Longstaff look as though they could be Leeds’ central pairing in midfield going into next season.
With a new full-back in Gabriel Gudmundsson and two new centre-backs in Jaka Bijol and Sebastiaan Bornauw, Leeds look set to turn their attentions further up the pitch, with a new winger, a new number 10, and a new striker a priority for Leeds this summer.
In particular, fans want to see a new number 10 come in. Brenden Aaronson’s Leeds United future remains up in the air after his divisive performances in the Championship last season, and one name who has been linked to replace him at Elland Road is Manchester City’s James McAtee.
James McAtee update shared amid Leeds United transfer interest
Since the January transfer window, McAtee has been a transfer target for Leeds United, and following the Whites’ promotion to the Premier League, McAtee’s links to Elland Road have once again been reignited.
But the race to sign the Manchester City academy graduate is wide open, with interest stemming from the top teams in the Bundesliga with the likes of Bayer Leverkusen and Eintracht Frankfurt being strongly linked with the move for the 22-year-old.
Previously, reports stated that Nottingham Forest were weighing up a £25m bid for McAtee this summer, but speaking to TalkSPORT, journalist Ben Jacobs has revealed that McAtee may well stay at Manchester City going into next season.
Jacobs explained: “One likely destination might be to stay at Manchester City because Man City don’t really want to sell. Suggestions then that an exit would be facilitated at £25m are wide of the mark, to my understanding. Man City will look at the Cole Palmer fee that Chelsea paid [£40m], and they’ll want something like-for-like.”
- READ MORE: Big update shared on Leeds United’s interest in Aston Villa star Emi Buendia as attentions shift
It is so clear who Leeds United want to sign for the number 10 position
Whilst Leeds United have been linked with a horde of players so far this summer, there have really only been a handful of number 10s linked with a move to West Yorkshire. McAtee is one, and Gustavo Hamer and Emi Buendia are the other two.
Earlier in the summer, reports revealed how Leeds United will sign one of Buendia or Hamer this summer, and with few new number 10s having been linked since, that seems to remain the case.
The latest on Buendia is that Leeds United are yet to make a formal approach to sign him from Villa, but he remains up for sale at Villa Park with interest growing in the Argentine international.
Meanwhile, at Sheffield United, Hamer has begun pre-season training with the club, but manager Ruben Selles hasn’t ruled out Hamer leaving the club this summer. The Dutchman has also had links to PSV, but it is understood that Hamer would prefer a Premier League move this summer, and so a move to Leeds United could well materialise after a year of links between the two.
Leeds United return to action in a pre-season friendly in Germany on Saturday, although the opponent is yet to be revealed.
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