Leeds now holding internal talks over move for 22 y/o star at Elland Road
Leeds United may need to secure reinforcements quickly at Elland Road.
Leeds United could make a move for Celtic midfielder Matt O’Riley before the window closes, as transfer guru Fabrizio Romano exclusively provides GIVEMESPORT with the details on what stage a potential deal is at.
The Yorkshire club could be set for a busy end to the window despite plenty of business occurring so far.
Leeds United transfer news – Latest
Leeds’ summer plans were made difficult due to relegation loan release clauses inserted into a host of their players’ contracts. As per The Athletic, the likes of Jack Harrison, Marc Roca, Robin Koch, and Brenden Aaronson, among others, were able to leave the club without a loan fee needing to be paid, as long as their new club covered the full wage package.
Tyler Adams, fortunately for Leeds, didn’t have a loan release clause in his contract and left the club to join Premier League side Bournemouth for a fee of £20m. Wilfried Gnonto is a player Daniel Farke will be desperate to keep hold of, despite him handing in a transfer request after failing to get his move to Everton earlier in the summer. Signing an Adams replacement could be high on the priority list for Farke and his recruitment team over the next few days.
It’s understood that Leeds and Southampton are interested in signing Celtic midfielder Matt O’Riley, however, the Daily Record have claimed that the Scottish Premiership side are adamant he is not for sale. The report also claims that Celtic rejected an approach from Italian club Bologna for the 22-year-old, hinting that it could be difficult for any interested party to prise him away.
Now, journalist Romano has provided an update on Leeds’ pursuit of the Hounslow-born midfielder.
What has Fabrizio Romano said about Leeds and O’Riley?
Romano has suggested that Leeds are discussing internally about O’Riley, who was once described as ‘incredible’ by Southampton boss Russell Martin. The Italian journalist adds that a deal is certainly a possibility, and he expects Leeds to be busy in the final few days of the window.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, he said: “I think it could be a possibility, yes. They are discussing still internally about that and waiting to see if they can attack the situation in the next hours. But yes, I think this could be a possibility and I still expect Leeds to be busy in the finals days of the window. So, that remains one of the options for sure.”
| Leeds United summer signings | |
|---|---|
| Ethan Ampadu (Chelsea) | Undisclosed |
| Karl Darlow (Newcastle United) | Undisclosed |
| Sam Byram (Norwich City) | Free |
| Joe Rodon (Tottenham Hotspur) | Loan |
| Joel Piroe (Swansea City) | Undisclosed |
| Djed Spence (Tottenham Hotspur) | Loan |
| All fees from Sky Sports | |
What’s next for Leeds?
Leeds themselves could also have a busy end to the window. Daily Express journalist Ryan Taylor recently told GIVEMESPORT that he expects Leeds to be active until the final hours, with two or three players potentially arriving through the door at Elland Road. TalkSPORT reporter Alex Crook has revealed to GIVEMESPORT that one player who could sign on the dotted line is Leicester City defender Luke Thomas. The journalist claims that he expects this deal to get done before the window slams shut on Friday. After an underwhelming start to the Championship season, Farke will be hoping he can get some reinforcements over the line.
