Rumours running riot in the Leeds United camp this week

Leeds United fans have been caught up in a busy week in the transfer window. Yesterday rumours became reality as Pontus Jansson looks to be on his way out of Elland Road in a £5.5 million cut-price deal to Brentford. This move has split fans as the reported ‘bad-egg’ with attitude problems is being sold for what is perceived to be pennies for a player who reportedly has had offers worth £15 million rejected by the Whites in previous windows.

Earlier in the week, Leeds completed four first-team signings; with Jack Harrison’s return and Ben White’s arrival from Brighton being announced together. Jack Clarke was sold to Tottenham Hotspur and returned on Tuesday morning before the confirmation of Helder Costa’s arrival at Elland Road. The move lifted the fans with a £15 million fee reported for the Portugal international in an obligation to buy following a year loan spell. Additionally, there have been rumours of a huge offer for fan-favourite Kalvin Phillips from newly promoted Aston Villa. Leeds and Marcelo Bielsa hold the local lad in high esteem, leading to a reported contract offer which will put him amongst the highest earners at Leeds United. Meanwhile, The Scottish Sun have linked Rangers FC with Kemar Roofe should Morelos be moved on from Ibrox, with the BBC’s Adam Pope commenting on the story, stating that it “definitely has legs“. This is another worrying rumour as we wait for further updates.

But with Jansson on his way out, it is a view shared among the vast majority of Leeds fans that a direct replacement must be signed. No targets have been confirmed as yet but several names have been doing the rounds on Leeds Twitter.

The Daily Mail have reported that Tottenham have made several players available for transfer this summer. Among bigger names, centre-half Cameron Carter-Vickers has been included on the list. The United States international has been linked several times with Leeds without end product, but now an opportunity has presented itself to replace Jansson with a quality centre-half. The 21 year-old spent last season on loan at Swansea while also having spells at Sheffield United and Ipswich Town, which gives him plenty of Championship experience to his name alongside his seven USA caps.

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22 year-old Josh Onomah has also been made available, with the England youth international also holding decent Championship pedigree having spent time on loan with Villa and Sheffield Wednesday, totalling to 48 Championship matches, scoring four and assisting six. The under-20 World Cup winner and under-17 European champion can play in the middle and on the wing and could be a great signing.

Marcus Edwards is a name who has already been linked this summer. The 20 year-old winger was on loan at Eredivisie side Excelsior last season, scoring two and assisting four in 25 matches. A player who has been seen to have big potential, Edwards has also got caps at England youth level, with a particularly good scoring record with the under-20, 19 and 18 sides and could be another player to come in at a young age and cut-price.

Chelsea’s Michael Hector has also been suggested, with the 26 year-old spending last season at Sheffield Wednesday. As a result of his endless loan spells from Chelsea, the Jamaican international (24 caps) has great pedigree having played over 150 matches in the Championship having played for Reading FC and Hull City, while also making 22 appearances with Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga. Hector can also play as a number four, with his versatility as a defender an attractive quality for a tight squad.

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More names have been thrown around, with Arsenal’s Krystian Beilik being suggested. The 21 year-old reportedly wants out of the Emirates having made 31 appearances on loan at Charlton last season. As part of a play-off winning team, the Polish youth international could provide an element of grit about him, having played in all play-off matches and scoring one of the crucial goals in the match against Doncaster. He also made ten appearances for Birmingham in 2016/17 and has also been reportedly targeted by Leeds previously.

Leeds have just under a month to hold onto the prize assets of the team and add any more players to the squad as Marcelo Bielsa’s squad head to Australia very soon.