Heading into the new year Leeds United know they must be proactive in the transfer window if they want to avoid the relegation struggles they endured last season.
One major area of concern the Whites must address in the January window is left-back, a position Leeds have needed to strengthen for a while.
Junior Firpo's injuries this term have seen centre-back Pascal Struijk serve as a makeshift full-back. While he has been adequate, Leeds need to add a full-back who can start ahead of both Firpo and Struijk, with a move allowing the latter to move back to centre-back fulltime.
READ MORE: Phillipp Max profiled as Leeds United reportedly plot move to sign German international defender
With the transfer window just weeks away, PSV Eindhoven defender Philipp Max has remerged as a target for the Whites, with Leeds said to be plotting a potential move for the full-back according to Football Insider.
However, based on comments made by PSV manager Ruud van Nistelrooy, a move for the German international may prove to be a difficult one.
"There is not a hair on my head thinking about letting [Philipp] Max go," said van Nistelrooy back in August.
"And the way he does it (performs), I am very satisfied with that."
Clearly, Max is someone PSV and van Nistelrooy want to keep ahold of. However, things have changed since the former Manchester United striker made those comments.
PSV's current financial situation means they may need to sell some of their best players after they missed out on qualifying for the Champions League group stages earlier this year.
One way they could remedy this would be by selling starlet Cody Gakpo, who enjoyed a stellar World Cup campaign with the Netherlands and Max, who is one of PSV's highest earners.
Max's contact is set to expire in 2024, meaning he will be entering the final year of his deal next summer. At 29-years-old, there may not be a better time for PSV to sell the defender, who will likely have little resale value by next summer.
Of course, there's every chance they could keep ahold of Max, and renew his deal if the sale of Gakpo is enough to solve their financial issues.
However, they could risk losing Max on a free at the end of next season, making a move away from PSV in January all the more likely.
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