Sebastiaan Bornauw shares just how early Leeds United has started planning to strike £5m deal

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Leeds United have announced their third signing of the summer window in Sebastiaan Bornauw after agreeing a £5m deal with Bundesliga side Wolfsburg.

The 26-year-old defender joins the club on a four-year deal and shares obvious traits with Leeds’ two other signings this summer. Both Jaka Bijol and Luka Nmecha are also 26, and they are also over 6ft.

Adam Underwood’s approach in the transfer window is clear. Bringing in big, physical players that have experience but are about to reach their prime, meaning Leeds get them cheaper but they get better.

That is certainly the hope with Bijol who seems to have enjoyed an upward curve so far. With Nmecha and Bornauw, there are doubts over their injuries, having only played fewer than 100 games in four years.

• READ MORE: Leeds could still sign three players from Southampton after Sebastiaan Bornauw

Bornauw shares how early Leeds had started planning £5m deal

Leeds confirmed the Belgium international’s arrival on Tuesday evening, and immediately posted an interview he staged with LUTV commentator Bryn Law. Interestingly, Bornauw shared the timeline.

He says that he started watching Leeds from the back end of January, such was the interest in him from the club. It means Bornauw watched Leeds eventually win promotion, after enduring a poor spell of form.

“I saw a lot of games because the interest was quite early. So, from the end of January, I tried to see every game. I’ve followed the second half of the season, I know Leeds are a big, traditional, historic club.”

What Bornauw’s arrival means for Leeds’ other defenders

Daniel Farke now has six central defenders at his disposal. Joe Rodon and Bijol are expected to start, with Farke likely to retain the four-man defence he has used throughout his first two seasons at Elland Road.

Pascal Struijk is a vice captain at Leeds and is expected to remain, but Struijk has been identified as a possible sale if Leeds need a PSR boost. Max Wober says Leeds have told him he can now leave the club.

Bornauw then, is likely to simply be a replacement for Wober – and compete as first reserve in this Leeds side. James Debayo is expected to sign a new contract at long last, but will surely leave Leeds on loan.