Leeds United are interested in signing a “quality” player who Frank Lampard has previously hailed, according to a new report.
Leeds looking for Premier League return
Daniel Farke and new owners the 49ers Enterprises have steadied the ship at Elland Road over the last eight months following relegation from the Premier League.
The Whites have been in unbelievable form in the Championship in 2024, winning all but one of their 12 second-tier games to put them in a good position to earn automatic promotion back to the top flight.
Leeds’ Championship form in 2024 | |
|---|---|
Leeds United 3-0 Birmingham City | 1st January |
Cardiff City 0-3 Leeds United | 13th January |
Leeds United 2-1 Preston North End | 21st January |
Leeds United 1-0 Norwich City | 24th January |
Bristol City 0-1 Leeds United | 2nd February |
Leeds United 3-0 Rotherham United | 10th February |
Swansea City 0-4 Leeds United | 13th February |
Plymouth Argyle 0-2 Leeds United | 17th February |
Leeds United 3-1 Leicester City | 23rd February |
Huddersfield Town 1-1 Leeds United | 2nd March |
Leeds United 1-0 Stoke City | 5th March |
Sheffield Wednesday 0-2 Leeds United | 8th March |
Should Farke take Leeds back up at the first time of asking, then the German looks set to be backed in the transfer market by the current Leeds owners. Reports have even suggested that Leeds could spend up to £100m in the summer, and targets have already emerged.
Former Queens Park Rangers winger Bright Osayi-Samuel, now with Fenerbahce, is thought to be of interest, with a £7m offer already made. However, he’s not the only player from Fenerbahce who Leeds have their eyes on.
Leeds want to sign Michy Batshuayi
According to reports from Turkey in the last 48 hours, Leeds are ‘expected to knock on Fenerbahce’s door at the end of the season’ for striker Michy Batshuayi.
In fact, the Belgian, currently on £82,000-a-week, is out of contract at the end of the season and is set to be available on a free transfer.
The 30-year-old has plenty of experience in the Premier League, winning the title with Chelsea and spending time with Crystal Palace. He’s also been in fine form since moving to Turkey, initially with Besiktas, scoring 54 goals in more than 100 appearances since the 2021/22 season.
Appearances | Goals | Assists | |
|---|---|---|---|
Standard Liege | 120 | 44 | 13 |
Marseille | 78 | 33 | 10 |
Chelsea | 77 | 25 | 6 |
Fenerbahce | 67 | 40 | 5 |
Besiktas | 42 | 14 | 5 |
Crystal Palace | 33 | 8 | 2 |
Valencia | 23 | 3 | 0 |
Borussia Dortmund | 14 | 9 | 1 |
Belgium | 53 | 27 | 6 |
Leeds may view someone like Batshuayi as a good option to have if they win promotion, especially with their attacking ranks currently boasting youngsters Crysencio Summerville, Wilfried Gnonto and Georginio Rutter.
Lampard, who worked with Batshuayi at Chelsea, praised the striker during their time at Stamford Bridge, previously saying: “It was interesting to see not just the player – I kind of knew the quality Michy had and it’s always good to see that up close – but also the personality.
“Since early season, how he’s trained, his demeanour, his positivity, and quality when he’s come on, which is obviously the most important thing, have been top class.
“When Tammy is scoring regular goals and getting a firm foot in the team, that’s not easy. It’s the same for Oli [Giroud]. Michy has shown all the right ways of handling that. He has been very good for us so far, and that positive spirit when you’re not playing regularly is not just important for him, cause that’s tough sometimes, but it’s important for the group. He deserves extra praise for that. He’s positive, hard-working, loves scoring goals.”
