Phil Hay has said on The Phil Hay Show that Leeds United do not plan to sign a new central defender amid reported interest in Chelsea’s Fikayo Tomori.
According to a report in talkSPORT in December 2020, as covered by HITC Sport, Leeds are interested in signing Tomori from Premier League rivals Chelsea in the January transfer window.
The Whites have had injury problems defensively this season, with Robin Koch a long-term absentee.
Diego Llorente has made just one appearance in the Premier League for the West Yorkshire club since joining them in the summer of 2020, according to WhoScored.
Well-known journalist Hay, who is the Leeds correspondent for The Athletic, has claimed that the Whites do not plan to bring in a new centre-back this month.
Hay said on The Phil Hay Show: “Leeds kind of enquired about him in the summer but it was more of a speculative ask about what the situation was, if he was available, all of that.
“They didn’t get into any serious discussions about a deal, Bielsa didn’t really do any serious analysis of him as they were obviously after Ben White to begin with, they had Robin Koch in the background as well.
“Bielsa said after these injuries came up, ‘I’ll make do with what I’ve got.’ That doesn’t seem to have changed. There was never a plan to get another centre-back in. From what I’m told, at this point, that hasn’t shifted.”
No need for a new centre-back?
True, Koch’s injury is a blow for Leeds, but Cooper and Llorente are good central defenders.
Pascal Struijk has done well he has played in defence, while Kalvin Phillips and Luke Ayling are also capable of playing at centre-back.
Although a short-term loan deal for someone like Tomori would be good, as it would add cover, there is no point in Leeds making a permanent signing.
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