Leeds are moving quickly in the transfer market after securing their Premier League status on Sunday by beating Brentford.
Director of football Victor Orta had already identified Leeds’ summer targets and has been given the green light to proceed now the Whites can bank on the cash from a third season in the top flight. Top of Orta’s hitlist is Red Bull Salzburg’s Brenden Aaronson and Leeds are set to land the USA midfielder, nearly six months after they first tried to sign him.
Salzburg rebuffed Leeds’ offers for Aaronson in January because they were still competing in the Champions League, but are prepared to cash in on him now since securing a ninth straight Austrian title. Leeds will pay around £24million for Aaronson to reunite him with former Salzburg boss Jesse Marsch at Elland Road.
Marsch worked with his fellow American for six months at Salzburg when he joined them in January 2021 from MLS outfit Philadelphia Union. It is understood that Aaronson has agreed personal terms with Leeds and his transfer could be wrapped up soon.
Orta is also vying with Liverpool for Aberdeen’s highly-rated Scotland Under-21 defender Calvin Ramsay. Ramsay, 18, has made 33 appearances for Aberdeen this season in the right-back’s breakthrough campaign.
Leeds want cover for Luke Ayling, especially with Stuart Dallas out for possibly as long as a year with his broken leg. Orta is also after a striker to take some of the goalscoring burden off Patrick Bamford’s shoulders and Leeds know their lack of cover for the England forward almost cost them their Premier League place.
Leeds will also restart contract talks with Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha, which have been on hold while they focused on their survival fight. Phillips, who like Raphinha is under contact under 2024, is changing agents this summer and has always said he wants to stay at Leeds.
Leeds would have lost the midfielder had they gone down and they can now be confident of securing his long-term future at Elland Road. The Whites also want to tie Raphinha down long term and opened talks with his agent Deco in December.
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The Brazil winger is wanted by Barcelona and Leeds will be able to demand over £50m if he tries to leave this summer. Chairman Andrea Radrizzani appreciates how close Leeds went to being relegated and undoing all his good work since he took over in 2017.
He has pledged to strengthen Leeds’ squad after this near miss to enable Marsch to take the club forward. “Staying in the Premier League was our objective this year and we’ve managed to obtain our top-flight status, but this is not success and improvements are needed,” said the Italian.
“As a board, we will work hard with Jesse Marsch this summer to improve the squad and find a way to deliver the kind of performances you all deserve. We believe that with time and a full pre-season, Jesse will be the man to take this club forward.”
