Why Leeds United fans would love 'workhorse' Julian Brandt as LS11 chances rise
Leeds United would be getting an "incredibly self-reflective" talent in Julian Brandt, MOT Leeds News has been told.
Leeds will be hoping for a strong second-half to their summer transfer window, as Daniel Farke looks to put the final pieces to his squad together.
Harry Wilson, for now, remains the only new signing at Elland Road, but the incoming Tarik Muharemovic will soon change that.
Next on the list could be the free agent signing of Brandt, who is on the open market despite scoring 11 times and providing five assists in 46 games for Borussia Dortmund in 2025-26.
The Whites will want to add more cutting edge to their attack for 2026-27, with their 49 goals scored in the Premier League last season a solid foundation to build on.
And, in a fresh update from Italy on Friday, Brandt may just have moved one big step closer to deciding on a move to Elland Road.
Top Italian journalist reveals Julian Brandt transfer intentions
Brandt has been widely touted to Leeds this summer, after it was announced back in March that he would be leaving Dortmund at the end of the 2025-26 season.
The 30-year-old attacking midfielder has been at Signal Iduna Park since 2019, and has played 307 times for the Yellow and Black, scoring 57 goals and providing 70 assists.
As a result, he's one of the hottest and most high-profile names on the free agent market right now, but that could all be about to change soon enough.
According to leading Italian transfer reporter Gianluca Di Marzio via his own website, Brandt is the subject of interest from numerous Premier League teams who are now set to make official offers to him.
He claims that as of right now, the Premier League is the most likely destination for the 48-cap German international, with the chances of him staying in Germany or heading to Italian football fading.
So, with Brandt seemingly bound for the Premier League, that naturally bolsters Leeds' chances of securing his signature this summer.
If that is to be the case, what sort of player would the Whites be getting, and would the Elland Road faithful take to him?
Why Dortmund expert backs Leeds fans to love Brandt
Brandt has spent his entire German football, so to take his first steps outside of his home country aged 30 would mark a significant gamble by himself on his own ability.
MOT Leeds News recently learnt about Brandt's chances of success if he was to sign for Leeds thanks to some fascinating insight from speaking exclusively to Ruhr Nachrichten's (Borussia's leading independent news outlet) highly-respected Dortmund reporter Kevin Pinnow.
Tapping into his expert knowledge of Dortmund and Brandt's game, MOT Leeds News once again exclusively spoke with him to gain a further understanding of the sort of player and character the possibly Leeds-bound man is.
"Brandt has an uncanny understanding of the game and can read and anticipate certain situations very early on," Pinnow said.
"He doesn’t necessarily score spectacular goals or deliver amazing assists, but he is extremely often the catalyst for scoring opportunities because he plays a smart penultimate pass or makes the right runs.
"Technically, he’s highly gifted. At the same time, he’s a workhorse who covers a lot of ground during a game, though he often lacks the ability to assert himself in one-on-one situations.
"He’s also not a classic leader; he’s rather quiet on the field - he just wants to play soccer and not worry about other things.
"As a person, he’s incredibly self-reflective, can analyse games exceptionally well, and is also very good at assessing his own performance.
"He’s a good and friendly (person) who was very popular on the team and with fans."
So, it sounds like if Brandt is to choose West Yorkshire as his new home this summer, then he's going to be a player who Leeds fans won't have a hard time falling in love with.