Leeds United news: Bartlomiej Dragowski rejects transfer rivals in January window update
Bartlomiej Dragowski has turned down interest from Cremonese with Leeds United holding “strong” interest in him, according to La Nazione.
The Italian outlet reported on 12 January that the Spezia goalkeeper has declined any potential advances from the fellow Serie B side, while his current club is looking to move him on.
Work is said to be under way to find a move for the Pole, along with a pair of teammates, but he is also reportedly not going to be moving to the Whites’ Championship rivals Hull City due to his wages of €1million net per season [£860,000], according to Fussball Transfers’ Dominik Schneider on 11 January.
Leeds United are being linked to 26-year-old as a potential replacement for Illan Meslier, who is believed to be interesting Celta Vigo.
Last club standing?
Exit talk around Meslier has died down significantly between this season and last after the Frenchman endured a nightmare campaign that contributed to the Whites’ relegation from the Premier League.
But, despite the summer arrival of Karl Darlow, the long-term starter has retained his number one position for Daniel Farke and his reputation has been repaired to a reasonable extent over the first half of the campaign.
It seems fairly unlikely that the German would be willing to allow Meslier to go anywhere during January, as he is an important part of the side just as attacking stars Crysencio Summerville and Georginio Rutter are.
So any move to land former Fiorentina keeper Dragowski would seem to be one made with an eye for the future, perhaps guarding against a departure from Elland Road in the summer.
If Leeds United aren’t promoted back to the top flight then it is assumed that they will likely lose a number of their stars.
Since Spezia were relegated to the Italian second tier it looks like their Polish international’s wages are something they want to rid themselves of, and with Cremonese and Hull apparently ruled out it might leave the Whites as their only real option.
Whether that makes the terms of any deal more favourable to Leeds is potentially what contributes to their reported interest, so a possible low-cost addition might make sense, but how it would be taken by Darlow is perhaps a valid question.
In other Leeds United news, the Whites have made a transfer decision on a £4million-rated defender after holding talks.