Here are your Leeds United morning headlines on Saturday, January 21.
Leeds United begin preparing 'risk-reward' deal for £35m Serie A star
Leeds United are set to begin making a deal for 'risk-reward' Serie A midfielder Nicolo Zaniolo as they enter the second half of the January transfer window.
The 23-year-old has reportedly declined insistent offers from AS Roma to continue his contract with the club in order to find a move elsewhere.
However, after finding himself with two long-term injuries over the past two seasons, whilst Zaniolo is an incredibly exciting player, he might find himself on the injury table too much at Elland Road therefore making himself a major risk for £35m - something CBS journalist Ben Jacobs highlighted.
"He's not necessarily financially [out of Leeds’ reach], his valuation has dropped somewhere between £30-35m, which might seem like a large outlay, but he’s a risk-reward type signing, huge amount of potential," said Jacobs on the JUSTJOE Football Show.
"Then there is a feeling at the Roma end that they might be open to a loan or an obligation to buy, which allows you to bring somebody in and then deal with the situation based upon how he fares in the Premier League.
"Spurs are the ones who are more serious at the table and the reason for that is because Antonio Conte has looked at Zaniolo for quite some time.
"Leeds like the player, it remains to be seen if they would meet the £35m valuation and the problem when you go up against Tottenham is he’s looking at one team that might be going down and the other that might be playing Champions League football."
Rodrigo on PlayStation, Meslier family link, French dressing room welcome: Meeting Georginio Rutter
Rodrigo up top alongside Georginio Rutter in a 4-4-2. The French striker has been here before and knows how this partnership works, knitted together by the Spain international’s lightning pace.
Any rudimentary research of Leeds United’s current record signing will have already told you he has never played with the club’s previous record signing, of course. Rutter has seen it in action on his television though.
The 20-year-old sat down with the assembled press at Leeds for the first time on Friday afternoon. During his half an hour with broadcast, print and online media he admitted Rodrigo had been a star of his on his PlayStation games console.
Why Jesse Marsch has made a U-turn on his Leeds United transfer talk
Jesse Marsch has previously been open when discussing Leeds United's activity on the transfer market, but the American has been less forthcoming during the current January transfer window.
The Whites have already landed the signings of Max Wober and Georginio Rutter from Red Bull Salzburg and Hoffenheim respectively, with the latter arriving on a club record fee.
However, Marsch has been less inclined to discuss speculation regarding the club's targets this month, and explains the two key reasons behind his strategy.
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Chris Armas profied as ex-Man United coach linked with vacant Leeds United role
Leeds United line-ups vs Brentford as Rutter debuts and Struijk is left out again
Jesse Marsch offers Leeds United update on Joe Gelhardt amid Wigan Athletic loan reports
