Leeds United would be signing 'one of Bundesliga's best' in Nico Elvedi - Ex-chief says
Leeds United could be getting a better player than some may realise if they were to sign Nico Elvedi this summer.
The 29-year-old Borussia Monchengladbach centre-back has been widely linked with a move to Leeds this summer, as Daniel Farke looks to reinforce his defensive options.
Elvedi's contract with the Bundesliga outfit expires next summer, leaving Gladbach in a situation where now may be their final chance to bank a healthy fee for him.
Spending much of his youth career in Switzerland with FC Zurich, Elvedi joined Gladbach in 2015, and has been with them ever since.
In total, he's made over 360 appearances for The Foals, and is fresh off the back of an impressive 2025-26 campaign that saw him start all 33 of his Bundesliga outings.
So, whilst his focus will currently remain with Switzerland as they prepare to take on Colombia in the World Cup quarter-finals on Tuesday, Elvedi will know that a big decision on his club future awaits him this summer.
Bayern Munich director Max Eberl loves Leeds target Nico Elvedi
German football always has and always will be a home for big, physical centre-backs to ply their trade, with this sentiment ringing true for Elvedi.
Standing all of 6'2", the Swiss international has been performing on a consistently high level in the Bundesliga for many years now, with his 318 appearances in the league a testament to that.
But, because Monchengladbach have largely been a mid-table side in the German top flight during his time there, Elvedi perhaps hasn't always received the flowers he deserves.
Upon signing a new contract extension with Gladbach in March 2021, however, the club's then-sporting director Max Eberl was keen to take the opportunity to express just how highly he rated him.
Speaking via Get German Football News at the time, the now-Bayern Munich sporting director said: "We are very happy about Nico’s contract extension.
“He has been a big part and regular in the team for years, and in my opinion is one of the best central defenders in the Bundesliga.”
Eberl's claims still rings true for Elvedi
March 2021 was some time ago though, and with Elvedi turning 30 at the end of September, surely there's a good chance Eberl's testimony is no longer relevant approximate to his current ability, right?
Well actually, it still very much is, as proven by many of his underlying numbers from last season.
As per FotMob, no other centre-back in the Bundesliga made more defensive contributions (383) or clearances (270) than Elvedi did in 2025-26.
On top of that, his 92 per cent pass success rate, 29 blocked shots and 41 interceptions respectively, ranked him in the top 10, three and seven per cent of his positional rivals.
He finished in the top eight per cent of Bundesliga central defenders for his 13 chances created too, showing that he would bring more than just defensive qualities to Elland Road.
With Pascal Struijk moving to Brighton already, the door has opened for Leeds to secure his replacement now.
So, Elvedi might not be a household name or headline-grabbing signing for the Whites, but Farke and Leeds have prided themselves on doing shrewd business in recent times, and the Gladbach stalwart would be exactly that.