Leeds are targeting a midfielder before the January 31 deadline as Marcelo Bielsa looks to surge up the Premier League table in the second half of the campaign.
The Sun’s Alan Nixon claimed earlier this month that Whites chiefs had ‘set aside’ £15million to bolster their engine room.
First-choice enforcer Kalvin Phillips has been ruled out since December and is not expected to return until next month, but Leeds fans are also craving some creative flair in the middle of the park.
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The Athletic reported on Friday that Leeds have lodged an improved £20million bid for RB Salzburg’s Brenden Aaronson, with a decision on his future yet to be made.
LeedsLive looks at five alternatives that the Whites could sign before the winter window slams shut…
John Swift
Reading’s talisman has been linked with a move to Elland Road after an impressive season for the Royals.
The 26-year-old has scored eight and assisted nine to almost single-handedly keep Reading above the drop zone.
Swift’s contract is up in the summer so he could be available for a cut-price fee.
Boubacar Kamara
Another whose contract expires at the end of the season, Kamara is highly-rated and has attracted interest from Chelsea and Newcastle.
The 22-year-old - who operates as a defensive midfielder or at centre-back - has played over 120 times for Marseille and was a regular for France’s U21 side before coming of age.
Kamara is not the creative spark Leeds’ fans desire but he could forge a formidable partnership with Phillips once the England star returns.
Nicola Raskin
The Sunday Mirror claimed last week that Leeds had bid £6million for the Standard Liege midfielder.
Talk has gone quiet since then but this deal could be one to keep an eye on before next Monday’s deadline.
Nahitan Nandez
A box-to-box midfielder, Nandez’s arrival would excite Whites fans and reports in Italy suggest he is on the club’s radar.
Calciomercato claimed in December that Leeds had shortlisted the diminutive Uruguayan, alongside Antonio Conte’s Spurs.
Nandez has played 49 times for his national side and would cost around £20million.
Ross Barkley
The England international is in desperate need of a fresh start and Leeds would provide Chelsea’s forgotten man the opportunity to do exactly that.
Barkley has played just 96 minutes in the top flight this season and is deemed surplus to requirements by Thomas Tuchel.
Ex-Birmingham boss Alex McLeish urged the Whites to sign the midfielder amid reports linking him with a move to Elland Road.
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