When Leeds will announce Ditmir Hodja's arrival at Elland Road

Leeds United may have unearthed a gem in Ditmir Hodja.

Thorp Arch is renowned as being one of the top academies in English football, with Leeds always having an ear to the ground for young talent.

Such a strategy isn't going to change simply because the Whites once again have Premier League riches to spend in the transfer market.

North Macedonian football, however, is a rarely explored market for English clubs to find future stars from.

Elland Road chiefs will hope they'll be rewarded greatly for doing so, as they've made a move for one of that nation's most exciting young players.

Hodja, 18, is about to leave his homeland for a dream Premier League move, and Leeds fans don't have long to wait for his announcement.

What is Leeds' initial plan for Ditmir Hodja once signed?

There's arguably no better way of safeguarding your team's future than by investing in quality young talents.

It's a gamble, of course, as not all of them will go on to become future first-team stars.

However, with Leeds now in their strongest financial and league position in some time, more rolls of the dice can be taken on high-potential youngsters.

That's precisely what they're doing with Hodja, banking on the 6'4" teenager to evolve into their target man of the future.

Daily Mail reporter Simon Jones has confirmed on Friday that Leeds have indeed won the race for the Macedonian's signature.

Jones claims that he will be announced as a Leeds player this weekend, offering Whites fans their first look at the young starlet in their colours.

However, it may yet be some time before they see him in action at Elland Road, as Jones states he will initially start off in the Under-21s.

But how did Hodja fair in 2025-26, and why might his end-of-season form won him a move to join Daniel Farke's Leeds?

How Hodja showed goalscoring potential in 2025-26

Hodja signed for Rabotnicki last summer from fellow Macedonian side Voska Sport.

Rabotnicki had finished third in the Macedonian top-flight in 2024-25, but would end up being relegated last season after placing 11th.

Hodja would turn out 19 times for them in the league last term, from which he scored four goals and provided one assist.

Interestingly though when it comes to his Leeds move, three of those goals and his lone assist came from his final five games of the campaign.

As a result, that strong end to the season may have really caught Leeds' eye, and helped sell the Whites on his free agent signature.

He's also represented North Macedonia at various youth levels, and has scored a handful of goals in youth international football.

Overall then, he looks to be a young striker with instantly eye-catching physical qualities, and Leeds will now look to pair that up with his technical development.

If all of that comes together, he could well be the natural successor to Dominic Calvert-Lewin.