Could Leeds land Aston Villa’s Elphick on the cheap close to deadline?

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Should Leeds revisit interest in Aston Villa defender Tommy Elphick as Birmingham close in on Brentford’s Harlee Dean and Aden Flint of Bristol City?

Thomas Christiansen, manager of Leeds United, looks on during the Sky Bet Championship match against Nottingham Forest.

Leeds United have still not signed the central defensive recruitment they are likely to need to make a successful promotion push from the Championship this season.

Two players they looked at to fill the role now look set to join Birmingham City, with Sky Sports reporting the Blues have agreed a £2.2m deal with Brentford for Harlee Dean and are still interested in Bristol City’s Aden Flint despite having a £3.5m offer rejected.

Harlee Dean of Brentford heads clear during the Sky Bet Championship match against Brighton & Hove Albion.

Yet perhaps Leeds should revisit a player the Mirror claimed they were considering back in July in Aston Villa centre-back Tommy Elphick.

According to the Birmingham Mail the Villans are keen to get Elphick out of the door before Thursday’s deadline, with Birmingham and Sunderland having shown interest.

Aston Villa defender Tommy Elphick in action.

However, the former seem to have turned elsewhere for recruitment in Dean and Flint, while the Black Cats’ financial constraints would make it difficult for them to find the £3m Villa are looking for to allow the 29-year-old to leave.

Yet with the Birmingham outfit so keen to move Elphick on and time running out to do so, if the Whites were to offer less than £3m it could prove tempting for a club who are aiming to reduce their wage bill.