’49ers to make statement of intent’ as Leeds ready to beat Aston Villa to transfer
Leeds United have endured a fairly mixed transfer window on their return to the Premier League this summer.
The Whites have already added five new additions to their ranks in a bid to survive in the top flight, but their window hasn’t passed without disappointment so far.
Leeds lost out to Sunderland on both Habib Diarra and Noah Sadiki, as they received a harsh reminder of the reality of the Premier League’s competitive nature.
Daniel Farke will surely want plenty more reinforcements before the start of the season, and the 49ers could be about to hand him a significant boost.
Leeds are battling Aston Villa to sign Gabriel Sara
Leeds’ interest in Gabriel Sara is nothing new, as they previously tabled offers to try and sign the midfielder during his days in the Championship with Norwich City.
They missed out on him last summer, and the Brazilian ended up at Galatasaray, but the West Yorkshire outfit have re-emerged as a potential suitor for him following their promotion.
Leeds are understood to be preparing to battle Aston Villa to land the 26-year-old, according to reports from the Turkish outlet Fotospor (20 July).
Galatasaray are adamant at the moment that the midfielder is not for sale, but the Whites may be able to use their Premier League status to their advantage as they try and turn the star’s head away from Istanbul.
If the 49ers could get a deal over the line to bring Sara in ahead of Aston Villa, it would send out a message to their rivals that they intend to compete and thrive in the top flight, rather than merely just survive.
Sara would be an excellent signing for Leeds
It had been suggested earlier in the summer that Leeds could be able to sign Sara for a fee in the region of £25million, and he would certainly be an excellent addition for them at that price.
The Whites need to add depth in their midfield, and although they have eased their issues in the middle of the park a little with Sean Longstaff’s arrival, the Galatasaray star would provide a genuine top-quality option.
Farke and his staff will know all about him from their previous clashes with Norwich, and he was undoubtedly one of the most impressive talents in the second tier at the time.
| Season | Apps | Goals | Assists |
| 2023/24 | 48 | 13 | 12 |
| 2022/23 | 40 | 7 | 4 |
| Total | 88 | 20 | 16 |
He notched an incredible 25 goal contributions in the Championship in 2023/24, and that kind of form usually translates extremely well to the top table of English football.
It looks as though the 49ers may have to be bullish in their approach if they want to sign Sara, but if they could secure his signature, it would provide their summer with a huge shot in the arm.
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