Leeds United in pole position to sign “exceptional” international defender
Leeds United appear to be in pole position to sign an “exceptional” defender before the January transfer deadline, according to a new report.
Leeds transfer news
The Whites appear to be on the search for the right addition at the back, after Daniel Farke and the club decided to loan out Luke Ayling to Middlesbrough and terminate Djed Spence’s season-long loan earlier this month.
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Teenager Archie Gray has continued at right-back, whereas on the left-hand side, Junior Firpo has remained injury-free recently, with Sam Byram capable of filling in on either side. Farke has hinted at the need for additions at the back, though, saying earlier in the window:
“We could do with more numbers in defensive positions. But in the last weeks, there was a chance for other players to step up – like [Junior] Firpo and [Ilia] Gruev.
“I won’t lie. A few additions in defensive positions would be helpful. But it has to make sense for us. If not, we go with what we’ve got and I trust my group. We are in a good position. We didn’t win it in the lottery. We won it with good development.”
Tottenham Hotspur’s Ben Davies, West Ham’s Ben Johnson and Burnley’s Connor Roberts are just some of the full-backs to be linked with a move to Yorkshire, alongside Liverpool’s Calvin Ramsay, who was actually an Elland Road target back in 2022. A new update has emerged regarding the latter of the quartet after his loan spell at Preston North End finished earlier in the month.
Leeds leading race to sign Ramsay
According to The Daily Mail on Wednesday, Leeds, and by extension owners the 49ers Enterprises, are leading the way and appear to be in pole position to sign Ramsay on loan for the remainder of the season. The report also adds that Championship rivals Southampton are also keen on the right-back, whereas Leeds are also keeping an eye on another Liverpool centre-back Nat Phillips.
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Loan spots are still available in Leeds’ squad, with current loanee Joe Rodon starring at the back under Farke following his move from Tottenham. Therefore, with the need for another full-back evident, Ramsay could be a shrewd addition and someone who has been on the Leeds radar for a number of years.
The Scotland international made just two appearances for Preston, missing large parts of the season due to a knee injury, so that could be something that Leeds need to take into consideration. There are high hopes for Ramsay at Anfield however, with Jurgen Klopp previously saying:
“Everything we heard about him was that he is a fantastic boy. And what a player he is – what he did for Aberdeen last year, absolutely exceptional. In his age group and you know the things we need from a full-back, he is as close as it gets to the things we want and is still a kid. So we really expect a lot from him in the long term.”
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Charlie is a football writer and assistant editor on FootballFanCast.com and has worked for the company for a number of years.
He began with Snack Media during his time at UCFB’s Etihad Campus, and after graduating in 2019, has held full-time roles on the Read Network and The Transfer Tavern.
A big Leeds United fan, Charlie has covered a variety of sports during his time with the company and has been a correspondent for football clubs both in England and Scotland.
