Farke wants Spertsyan in shock late Leeds signing amid Sunderland transfer news
Leeds are bidding to beat Sunderland to a deadline-busting deal for Armenia star Eduard Spertsyan, according to Ivan Karpov.
The Russian journalist reported via Telegram on Saturday evening (1 February) that Daniel Farke is pushing to sign the 24-year-old attacking midfielder after knowing him from his brief stint as Krasnodar manager in 2022.
It is understood that Sunderland are also keen on a deal for the “creative” Armenia international.
Leeds and Sunderland pursue Spertsyan deal with Krasnodar
English clubs haven’t done much business with Russian teams since Vladimir Putin ordered an invasion of Ukraine three years ago.
FIFA had allowed players to terminate or suspend their contracts with clubs in the two war-torn nations. However, that ended in June last year, meaning that if Leeds now want to sign Spertsyan, they’ll have to deal directly with Krasnodar.
Spertsyan has had a stunning 2024/25 season so far with Farke’s former club.
They sit top of the Russian Premier League with just one loss in their 18 matches.
Spertsyan has captained them in every match this season, scoring six goals and supplying three assists from the midfield.
It’s clear that he’s a player who’s in good form and that the Leeds boss knows, but would he really quit a title bid to head to Leeds?
Russian clubs cannot qualify for European football right now so there’s no chance that Spertsyan would stay to ensure he can play in the Champions League.
But, if he opts to quit Russia for England, he could still get an RPL winners’ medal and play in the Premier League next season if Leeds stay on course for a top-two finish in the Championship.
Sunderland’s pursuit is an interesting one but surely he’d want to play for his former boss at Elland Road instead.
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