Leeds United make last-gasp bid to sign Manuel Benson from Burnley
Leeds United made a last-gasp attempt to sign Burnley winger Manuel Benson after expressing late interest in bringing him to Elland Road, according to Alan Nixon.
The Sun journalist reported via his Patreon on 1 February that, despite being allowed to go out on loan, Benson opted to turn that down to remain at Turf Moor.
Nixon shared that a handful of Championship clubs alongside Leeds have been left disappointed by his decision, including Middlesbrough and Southampton.
Worth a try late in the day
Benson was told by Burnley that he could leave the club on loan on deadline day, so a late bid from Leeds was worth exploring and it would have come as a blow for him to turn down the opportunity.
It was previously reported that a conversation with Vincent Kompany convinced Benson to stay and fight for his place at Turf Moor, but the news that he would have been allowed to leave on 1 February calls into question why he would want to stay.
The winger proved for Burnley last season that he can cut it in a promotion-chasing team in the Championship, so the level of interest in his signature from high-flying clubs comes as no surprise at this stage.
Last season, the Belgian scored 11 goals and provided three assists in 33 league games, so if he was able to lend even a fraction of that output to Daniel Farke’s team it would have been a boost to their promotion hopes this year.
In other Leeds United news, a deadline day deal dealt a new blow to Manchester City.
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