Having already agreed a deal to sign Jaka Bijol, Leeds United are now reportedly keen to solve their left-back problem by signing a Champions League-level defender.
Leeds discover Premier League opener
The chaos of the transfer window isn’t the only thing stealing the headlines this week. The Premier League fixtures have officially been announced and Leeds now know where they’ll be and when at the most important stages of their top-flight return.
Opening the season at Elland Road against Everton, Leeds will then face their first top six side of the season when they travel to Arsenal, before Newcastle United at home rounds off a tough start.
If the Whites do find themselves in a relegation scrap, meanwhile, then games against Sunderland in March and Burnley in one of their final fixtures in May could prove to be all-important in their battle to survive.
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Alas, the 49ers have known the challenge that lies ahead for some time now and have been making moves away from the pitch in the hope of building Daniel Farke a side capable of avoiding the dropzone.
The first to arrive on that front looks set to be Bijol. As reported by Fabrizio Romano, all documents are signed and sealed for the defender to complete his move from Udinese this summer and become Leeds’ second signing back in the Premier League after Lukas Nmecha.
After Nmecha and Bijol, however, Leeds are still not done on the transfer front. Yet to solve their left-back problem, reports are now suggesting that the Whites are keen to sign a Champions League-level solution.
Leeds keen to sign Gudmundsson
According to the Yorkshire Evening Post, Leeds are now keen to sign Gabriel Gudmundsson from LOSC Lille this summer. The Swedish left-back would instantly solve Farke’s biggest problem area with Firpo set to leave and Sam Byram also heading for the exit door to leave the German without a viable option down that side of his backline.
Whilst it remains to be seen how much Lyon demand to sell their defender this summer, Gudmundsson hasn’t hesitated to share his own verdict about his future now that he’s into the final year of his contract, telling reporters: “I’m very likely to leave. It will be a very interesting summer.”
|
League stats 24/25 (via FBref) |
Gabriel Gudmundsson |
Junior Firpo |
|---|---|---|
|
Minutes |
1,785 |
2,616 |
|
Assists |
0 |
10 |
|
Tackles Won per 90 |
1.26 |
1.17 |
|
Ball Recoveries per 90 |
4.19 |
3.92 |
Whilst the 26 year-old would not replace Firpo’s attacking output, he would provide a better option defensively and that’s arguably more important in the Premier League.
What’s more, the Swede’s experience of playing Champions League football for Lille last season, which included games against Real Madrid and Liverpool, means that he would likely take no time to adjust to the level required in the Premier League.
