Credit: Imago

Scott Mason

Sun 3 May 2026 8:10, UK

Leeds United have plenty of positions to upgrade in ahead of next season, and reports have linked them with Daniel Svensson.

According to Fussballdaten, Leeds are “closely monitoring the situation” of the Borussia Dortmund defender with his future up in the air.

The Swedish international, who is a fellow patriot of Gabriel Gudmundsson, plays in the exact same position as the current Whites defender.

His arrival would supply Daniel Farke with plenty of competition and quality of depth for that role.

However, ahead of Leeds’ transfer window, the fees associated with a potential deal must surely put the Elland Road side off, and if it doesn’t, that may be a mistake.

Why Leeds should steer clear of Daniel Svensson move

While Svensson is undoubtedly a quality defender, there is no guarantee that his arrival would provide Farke’s side with more impact than Gudmundsson currently provides.

The Leeds wingback has been sensational this season, and finding improvements in that area are the least of the 49ers’ worries.

The report shares that the Bundesliga club are looking to secure between £34.5million and £38.8m – quite the sizeable fee.

Previous reports had shared that Dortmund would accept a £26m bid for Svensson, but that looks to be untrue as the season winds down.

At the price, there may have been more reason for the Whites to make their move, but now, the increase would see the LS11 outfit move close to their record signing.

Forking out such a large portion of a transfer budget on a player that would not signal much of an upgrade seems like a fool’s errand.

Leeds should rule themselves out of the running for Svensson.

Gabriel Gudmundsson has proved himself at Leeds

Taking a step back from Svensson is by no means a negative, and it just highlights how important Gudmundsson has been this season.

The 23-cap Sweden international has started 32 of the Whites’ 35 Premier League matches, with the games he has missed coming through injury or suspension.

It is clear he is highly rated by Farke, and replacing him with a big-money move for a wingback makes little sense for the Whites.

There are plenty other positions that need upgrading, such as the goalkeeper and perhaps another centre-back.