Report: Leeds the only club to bid for £18m target; European exit could be crucial

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Leeds United’s £18 million offer is the only one Dinamo Zagreb have received so far for Josko Gvardiol and, according to Index, Wednesday’s Champions League exit could push him towards the door.

With UEFA opting to make the UCL qualifiers a one-legged affair to reduce travel in these most testing of times, the likes of Benfica, Celtic and Dinamo Zagreb have seen their Champions League adventure end after just 90 minutes of football.

The Croatian champions were beaten 2-1 by Ferencvaros of Hungary in midweek.

And, if they were hoping to hang on to one of the most sought-after young centre-backs on the continent, that shock defeat could hardly have come at a worse time.

Index reports that Gvardiol could now push for an exit during the final few weeks of the transfer window, especially if Dinamo fail in their upcoming Europa League qualifier.

Missing out on European football as a whole could be disastrous for their chances of keeping the 18-year-old.

Gvardiol, a Croatian U21 international who has just 12 senior league appearances under his belt, has already been the subject of an £18 million bid from Leeds – a surefire sign of his vast potential.

Index claim that the Premier League newcomers are the only club to have made a ‘concrete’ bid this summer with RB Leipzig yet to turn their rumoured interest into anything more tangible.

In the injury-enforced absence of Liam Cooper in Saturday’s 4-3 defeat to Liverpool, the lack of defensive depth at Marcelo Bielsa’s disposal was ruthlessly highlighted. No wonder Leeds have made a new centre-half a top priority.