January’s been good to Leeds United with a flurry of promising transfers which have already been done, but there is yet still business to attend to today, the final hours of the window. Yesterday, Weston McKennie’s transfer was, at long last, completed, but senior exits may dominate deadline day.
After Max Wober and Georginio Rutter arrived for around £40m in the first half of the month, Leeds committed to a loan deal with McKennie which will require a £30m-plus commitment to keep him beyond the summer. The one remaining arrival guaranteed to get done is Diogo Monteiro.
The 18-year-old Portugal youth international is playing for Swiss Super League outfit Servette, but completed the formalities on his Elland Road switch yesterday. Once the teenager’s deal is announced, there are not currently any more incomings close to completion as we start the day.
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Last night, there were multiple reports from Italy of a loan offer for Roma’s exiled attacker Nicolo Zaniolo. However, the Stadio Olimpico outfit are reportedly knocking back any interest which does not take the wantaway 23-year-old on a permanent switch.
If the Zaniolo interest is accurate it’s jarring when you see the plethora of attacking options Jesse Marsch already has, unless space is being created for another forward. Jack Harrison is wanted by Leicester City and the list of interested parties was only growing yesterday.
It will be fascinating to see what the Whites and Harrison do today. Leeds had come into the window keen to get through to February before finalising a new contract for the winger, but with less than 18 months to run on his deal, a lot of competition for his place and higher earning potential elsewhere this really could go in either direction.
Diego Llorente is a senior name whose exit will be announced today. The Spain international was pictured in Rome yesterday and he put the finishing touches to a loan move last night.
Like McKennie, the centre-back’s loan is with a view to a permanent switch for around £18m, the same value Leeds paid Real Sociedad in 2020.
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