Leeds United in very advanced talks for Diogo Monteiro transfer, Director confirms
Leeds United are in “very advanced talks” for the transfer of Diogo Monteiro after he turned down a contract with Servette, according to Director of the Swiss side Philippe Senderos.
The Whites have been linked with a move for the 17-year-old throughout this month’s winter window, and reports suggested he was flying to England on Thursday (26 January) to seal a move. [LUFCFANZONE, 26 January]
Speaking with TDG, Senderos confirmed that talks between the two parties were very advanced after Monteiro failed to sign the “proposed extensions” the Swiss club offered him.
“He is actually in very advanced contact with a club,” Senderos admitted.
“We can always say that Servette could have done better, given him responsibilities earlier, in order to promote an extension of his contract, for a really substantial transfer sum (much more than for a player at the end of the contract in five months). Maybe. Or not.
“The reality is now this arrangement, with a player who did not sign the proposed extensions, with no one to blame. And it is also the quality of Servette’s training that is highlighted.”
Future vision
As soon as Monteiro was offered the opportunity to move to a club of Leeds’ size, the move should never have been in doubt for Leeds fans.
The Portuguese youth international will most likely link up with Leeds’ Under-21s squad if he completes his move, as he only turns 18 this Saturday (28 January). The Whites will most likely ply his trade with the youth teams for the remainder of this season before re-assessing him and seeing if he has the capability to compete with Jesse Marsch’s first-team squad.
Monteiro is a highly-rated young defender, and considering he has been playing first-team football in Switzerland, he represents a shrewd piece of business by Leeds.
It is also yet another sign that Victor Orta and Marsch are determined to invest time and money in the academy, with the likes of Charlie Cresswell, Sam Greenwood and Crysencio Summerville all rising through the ranks recently before featuring at the first-team level.
In other Leeds United news, visit our live transfer blog for around-the-clock updates straight from Elland Road.