Leeds now hold strong interest in signing "phenomenal" 24/25 title-winner
da roleta： Leeds United now hold a strong interest in signing a “phenomenal” 2024/25 title-winner, who is “open” to leaving his club this summer, according to a report.
Leeds keen on defender despite resilient performance vs Everton
da pinnacle： Leeds have already made major improvements to their defence this summer, bringing in the likes of Jaka Bijol and Sebastiaan Bornauw at centre-back, but Daniel Farke had to stick with the old guard in the Premier League opener against Everton.
With Bijol serving a suspension and Bornauw only recently returning from injury, Pascal Struijk and Joe Rodon were given the nod in defence, and the Championship promotion-winning duo certainly delivered, with the Whites collecting a clean sheet.
Gabriel Gudmundsson was the only new signing to start for Farke’s side in defence, having been brought in as a replacement for Junior Firpo at left-back, and the 26-year-old achieved a 7.5 SofaScore match rating, the highest of any player on the pitch.
Despite Gudmundsson putting in an excellent performance on his Premier League debut, Farke clearly remains keen to bring in more depth at left-back, and the newly-promoted side have now set their sights on a 2024/25 title-winner.
That is according to a report from Caught Offside, which states Leeds now hold a strong interest in signing Liverpool’s Kostas Tsimikas, who could be ready to move, amid widespread interest from within the Premier League.
Nottingham Forest and Fulham are also named as potential suitors for the left-back, who has fallen down the pecking order at Anfield since the arrival of Milos Kerkez, meaning he is now ready to consider a move to a new club.
A CaughtOffside source said: “As for Tsimikas himself, he hasn’t made a final call yet. He’s open to joining a project where he can play regularly, with clubs competing in European competitions likely to be his top choice.”
"Phenomenal" Tsimikas could be solid signing for Leeds
It would be fair to say Gudmundsson enjoyed a fantastic competitive debut for Leeds, making a number of important defensive contributions to keep the Toffees at bay, while also contributing on the front foot.
Statistic
Number completed
Duels won
7
Clearances
4
Interceptions
2
Dribbles completed
4
However, Farke is arguably light on quality back-up options in that area of the pitch, with Sam Byram the natural alternative, and the 31-year-old has spent the majority of his career in the Championship.
Tsimikas, on the other hand, has experienced winning trophies with a top club, making 115 appearances for the Reds, during which time he has been lauded as “phenomenal” by football writer Leanne Prescott.
Earlier this summer, it was suggested that Liverpool could accept bids of around £12m – £15m for the Greek defender, meaning a deal would not break the bank, and he could be capable of pushing for Gudmundsson’s starting spot.