Leeds United had an £8.5 million deal in place to bring Hungary international Roland Sallai to Elland Road but the Freiburg winger was not convinced about a summer switch to the Championship.
- Exclusive from Graeme Bailey
For the second time in 12 months, a positive end to a hectic off-season has Leeds United hopeful of an imminent return to the Premier League.
The Yorkshire giants left things late back in 2023 – signing Glen Kamara, Ilya Gruev and Joel Piroe in the final few days of August – and then repeated the trick at the start of the 49ers era at Elland Road.
With the uncertainty over Georginio Rutter and Championship Player of the Year Crysencio Summerville rumbling on into the final stretch of the window, four of Leeds’ eight new arrivals only between August 22nd and the deadline on August 30th.
Leeds snapped up Largie Ramazani from Almeria and Tottenham Hotspur loanee Manor Solomon. The former, a one-time Manchester United kid, arrives to help offset Summerville’s departure.
Solomon, outstanding on his debut against Hull City and hailed by Kevin de Bruyne this month, could arguably prove to be an upgrade on the talented but wasteful Rutter.
Leeds also raided Fortuna Dusseldorf to sign long-time midfield target Ao Takana.
Though former Dortmund and Borussia Monchengladbach coach Daniel Farke would have rather less fortune in pursuit of another German-based transfer target.
Leeds United agreed fee with Freiburg for Roland Sallai
Roland Sallai looked likely to become a Leeds United player a fortnight ago. HITC reported at the time that The Whites were closing in on an agreement with Freiburg.
Now, HITC can reveal that the two clubs did eventually green-light a fee of around £8.5 million, as confirmed to us by sources at Leeds. But, by that point, Sallai had developed reservations about swapping the Bundesliga for England’s second tier.
Perhaps, after featuring at Euro 2024 and taking his tally of Hungary caps to over 50, Sallai was worried that leaving one of the continent’s top-five leagues would backfire as far as his international prospects were concerned.
Daniel Farke still has serious talent on the wings
Sallai’s Freiburg contract expires in the summer of 2025. HITC understands that Leeds could yet come calling again in January.
If Farke’s side are clear at the top of the table by then with Premier League football on the table, then maybe a switch to Elland Road will appeal more to the one-time Palermo and APOEL Nicosia forward.
Then again, Leeds’ hopes will be over long before then if Sallai seals a move to Turkey on the final day of the Super Lig window.
Galatasaray, per BeIN Sports reporter Nezih Aksener, have offered Sallai a four-year contract at the Turkish champions.
Sallai, a 27-year-old right-winger renowned for his athleticism and his powerful shooting, scored eight goals last season. Only three of those came in 27 Bundesliga matches, however.
It is testament to the quality at Leeds’ disposal in the wide positions, meanwhile, that the 53-cap international may have been up against it securing a regular spot in Farke’s XI. In addition to Ramazani and the silky Solomon, Leeds is also home to Wilfried Gnonto and the increasingly-reliable Dan James.
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