Credit: Imago

Jacob Raw

Wed 29 April 2026 18:40, UK

Sebastiaan Bornauw seems more likely to leave Leeds United permanently this summer rather than on loan, with talks over signing a new centre-back heating up.

The Whites will be interested in making a couple of key improvements in the summer window, with striker being one of the areas that Daniel Farke wants to strengthen.

Central defence is also a part of their plans, with Danilho Doekhi and Santiago Bueno on their list of potential options.

The Whites may be expecting interest in Pascal Struijk in the upcoming window, but already have the likes of Jaka Bijol and Joe Rodon nailed on as important players for the next campaign.

Leeds only signed Bornauw last summer, but having rarely featured since making a switch from Wolfsburg, he may be on his way out already.

49ers have to raise funds, Sebastiaan Bornauw sale would be bizarre, but needed

Bornauw has struggled for game time at Elland Road, and when he has been handed a chance, the defender hasn’t pulled up any trees.

When considering that Farke has shifted James Justin in as a centre-back in a five-back formation at times, that shows just how far down the pecking order Bornauw is.

The 49ers weren’t able to get a deal over the line for Jorgen Strand Larsen due to a lack of financial wiggle room in regard to PSR limits.

Joel Piroe’s sale was needed for Leeds to get their man, and that will most likely be the case with Bornauw, who would raise a low seven-figure fee.

Leeds signed the 27-year-old for just over £5million, and that money could be spent wisely towards a more expensive defensive recruit this summer.

It may be hard for the 49ers to fully recoup the £5m, but a £4m sale shouldn’t be out of the question.

Santiago Bueno vs Danilho Doekhi; who is better?

In suggesting that Bornauw will be sold, Leeds would need to get themselves another body in the central defence department.

That looks the aim regardless of whether the Belgian leaves LS11 or not, with Bueno of Wolves and Doekhi of Union Berlin on the agenda.

In all honesty, there’s probably not much in it between the two defenders. However, the fact that Leeds have chased Doekhi for over a year suggests that they would fall short of their hopes if Borussia Dortmund managed to sign the Dutchman ahead of them.

Wolves have also proven to be a hard club to negotiate with this season, but the 49ers don’t seem to have put all their eggs in one particular basket yet.