Here are the latest Leeds United morning headlines on Friday, 4 February 2022.
Johnson contract talks
Reported Leeds United target Brennan Johnson is set for contract talks at Nottingham Forest after successfully fending off January interest.
While Leeds never made a bid for Johnson, who they have scouted extensively, they are known admirers and there was an expectation they would return in the summer with a serious bid for the player. Brentford recently saw an offer of around £18 million rejected and are also interested in a summer move.
Forest are in and around the play-off places this season and Johnson has been a key part of that, so keeping him at the club was a huge signal of intent for an ambitious side.
And now according to reports, Forest want to go a step further by handing him a new long-term deal on improved terms which they are hopeful of concluding.
Doyle on League One promotion
Former Leeds United midfielder Michael Doyle has singled out some of the players from the League One promotion side as the best he has ever played with.
The Whites earned automatic promotion to the Championship in the 2009/10 campaign, in what was Doyle’s only season at Elland Road.
Speaking on the Official Leeds United Podcast, Doyle says the jersey of a club that size can weigh heavily on a lot of players but claimed that several members of that squad were able to handle that pressure.
He said: "When big clubs do down, you see what they’re really about. The fans get behind their teams even more because they’re so desperate to get back.
"When clubs go down, the jersey can become too big for some players. It’s just the expectations from the fans and the pressure but I think I added something to that team and it was great to play with Becks [Jermaine Beckford], [Luciano] Becchio, Snoddy [Robert Snodgrass], [Jonny] Howson, some of the best players I ever played with. They could handle wearing that jersey."
Read more here.
Leeds’ February acid test
After failing to persuade Red Bull Salzburg into selling Brenden Aaronson, Leeds United opted against conducting any business in January.
Despite the injury troubles they have endured this season, the Whites have shown trust in their current squad to ensure they stay clear of danger.
But the month of February is likely to provide that transfer strategy with the ultimate acid test, with a number of tough matches on the horizon.
Leeds kick off the month with trips to Aston Villa and Everton, before hosting Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur either side of the rearranged clash with Liverpool at Anfield.
Read more here.
