Leeds United ‘close in’ on transfer and target Illan Meslier replacement

Leeds United are still battling the drop as their winless run since the World Cup break continues. The Whites fell to a 2-1 away defeat to Aston Villa over the weekend, and they now turn attention back to the FA Cup, looking to avoid an upset against Cardiff City in a home replay.

In the meantime, Jesse Marsch and Victor Orta will be looking for ways to improve the current squad, especially given how close Leeds find themselves to the relegation zone again. With that in mind, we have rounded up all the latest transfer news and rumours surrounding Elland Road.

Ounahi close

Leeds are said to be closing in on the signing of Morocco World Cup star Azzedine Ounahi. According to Il Mattino, Leeds are one of a number of teams chasing a deal, but they have blown their competitors away, ‘surpassing everyone’ despite interest from Leicester City and Napoli.

It’s claimed Leicester offered as much as £16million for the midfielder, but Leeds are said to have stumped up £22million to secure the deal. The transfer is set to be completed in the coming days, with Leeds continuing their bold January window.

Lammens interest

Leeds are pretty set for now when it comes to the goalkeeper position, with Illan Meslier one of the brightest young keepers in the Premier League. But Meslier has attracted attention from other clubs, and he could yet be set for a future away from Leeds, at least in the long-term.

It seems the Whites are already working to get ahead of that potential issue, reportedly exploring a deal for Club Brugge goalkeeper Senne Lammens. That’s according to the Daily Mail, who say the Whites are hoping to sign Lammens on free, given he is out of contract at the end of the season.