Porto appeared to have won the race for Danny Loader but Leeds United have thrown their hat into the ring at the eleventh hour, according to The Mail.
After securing their 29th Primeira Liga title thanks to a remarkable run of form since the re-start, Sergio Conceicao’s Porto side looked set to follow up their domestic success by signing one of England’s most exciting youngsters.
19-year-old Loader is a free agent after turning down a contract extension at Reading.
It seemed only a matter of time before he was unveiled at the Estadio do Dragao, with a three-year deal worth £1 million a year (or £20,000-a-week) on the table.
But Leeds are not going to give up that easily.
The Mail reports that, driven by their director of football Victor Orta, the Premier League newcomers have jumped in at the last minute to offer Loader an alternative destination.
With Marcelo Bielsa bringing the good times back to West Yorkshire, there could hardly be a better time to put pen to paper at Leeds.
And the fact that Bielsa has transformed a squad full of Championship also-rans into Premier League footballers, working wonders with Ben White, Kalvin Phillips, Tyler Roberts and more, should not pass Loader by.
The report adds that a Crystal Palace side determined to inject some youth into an ageing and tired-looking squad are also big fans of the England U20 international.
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