Leeds United in pole position to sign Southampton target, £12m fee mentioned

Leeds United are in pole position to sign Norwich City defender Max Aarons, as per the Pink Un.

Aarons, 23, made 45 Championship appearances for Norwich City last season. He scored once and assisted another two from right back as the Canaries finished 13th in the second tier.

Leeds United in pole position to sign Southampton target, £12m fee mentioned - The72

The English defender earned a lot of plaudits when he broke into the senior setting at Carrow Road in 2018/19. His eight league goal contributions helped his side get promoted to the Premier League where once again he made 36 appearances and impressed.

He then repeated the success in the second tier, and had another year in the top flight before Norwich City were relegated again in 2022.

Aarons was tipped for big things a couple of years ago and whilst he still has that potential, it doesn’t seem like his career has gone like many expected.

But now he could be on the move. Southampton were credited with interest in Aarons earlier this summer. He was seen as the ideal Tino Livramento replacement but move on that front hasn’t developed yet.

Leeds United look like they could hijack this one with Pink Un claiming the Whites are in advanced talks for a deal that could rise in cost to £12million.

Making good progress

Daniel Farke’s side are one of the favourites to challenge promotion this season, but the feeling is that will be incredibly difficult without a few extra additions between now and the end of the window.

Defenders appear a priority at Elland Road. Brandon Williams from Manchester United has been linked alongside Joe Rodon from Tottenham as it appears Leeds United are finally looking to address their shortcomings in defence.

Farke knows Aarons well from his time at Norwich City and that could give them the edge over Southampton should a race between the two sides get going.

The 23-year-old played some of his best stuff under the German boss and it will be hoped he can recreate that form and help push Leeds United back into the top flight as he did with the Canaries on multiple occasions.

It’ll be interesting to see how this one develops with Leeds United showing great intent in their targets.

Championship transfer news latest: Crystal Palace chase, Leicester competition, Burnley update, Leeds latest

Updates on Alex McCarthy, Daniel Iversen, Cesare Casadei, Zian Flemming, Sam Field and Joe Rodon have emerged in the past day or so.

Championship transfer news latest: Crystal Palace, Leicester, Burnley, Leeds

HIGHLIGHTS

Crystal Palace is considering signing Alex McCarthy and Daniel Iversen as potential goalkeeper options for the upcoming season.
Leicester City faces competition from Genoa in their pursuit of midfielder Cesare Casadei, who has impressed on loan at Reading.
Burnley’s pursuit of Zian Flemming has ended as they failed to meet Millwall’s valuation of the midfielder, while they are still looking to sign a number 10 before the transfer window closes.

There have been plenty of Championship transfer stories flying around in recent days and that comes as no real surprise.

There are just a few weeks to go until the end of the transfer window now and many second-tier clubs will be looking to put the finishing touches to their squads ahead of the rest of the campaign.

Others have more to do – and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see plenty of teams dip into the loan market before the deadline as Premier League sides decide which youngsters they want to keep and which to loan out.

Ideally, all second-tier clubs wouldn’t need to utilise the loan market to add depth to their squads in their likely quests to build for the long term, but all need to abide by the EFL’s financial rules.

And this means bringing in cheap loan additions can be vital.

Speaking of transfers, we take a look at some of the latest rumours involving second-tier clubs.

Crystal Palace keen on Alex McCarthy and Daniel Iversen

Palace are looking into a potential deal for Southampton stopper Alex McCarthy, according to Alan Nixon.

The Saints already have Gavin Bazunu and new signing Joe Lumley at their disposal, potentially giving Russell Martin the license to sanction an exit for the experienced goalkeeper.

McCarthy was on the bench against Sheffield Wednesday and with the Englishman potentially not set to start regularly in the second tier, he may be keen on a move back to the top flight.

He could potentially compete with Sam Johnstone for a starting spot at Selhurst Park, with Vicente Guaita possibly set to move on before the window closes.

Leicester City’s Daniel Iversen, who is behind Mads Hermansen in the pecking order at the King Power Stadium, is also believed to be on the Eagles’ radar.

Who are competing with Leicester City for Cesare Casadei?

Leicester are keen on Casadei and that has been known for some time.

The Chelsea midfielder shone on loan at Reading last term and was unlucky to be part of a side that were relegated from the second tier following the Berkshire side’s points deduction.

But at the Select Car Leasing Stadium, it became apparent that the Italian isn’t ready to be part of Mauricio Pochettino’s first team just yet.

The Foxes have been heavily linked with the young midfielder – but they are now set to face competition from Genoa for his signature according to Sky Italia.

What’s the latest on Burnley’s pursuit of Zian Flemming?

Burnley have ended their interest in Millwall midfielder Flemming, a report from TEAMtalk has claimed.

Although the Clarets have made two bids for the player in their quest to get a deal over the line, they have failed to secure an agreement and reach the Lions’ £15m valuation of the Dutchman.

Registering 15 goals and three assists in 43 league appearances last season, he has proved to be an exceptional buy for Gary Rowett’s side who are in a strong position at the negotiating table.

The Clarets are still keen to recruit a number 10 before the window closes.

Burnley and Rangers keen on QPR midfielder Sam Field

Burnley and Scottish Premiership side Rangers are both interested in signing Queens Park Rangers midfielder Field, according to Football Insider.

The 25-year-old could potentially be sold by Gareth Ainsworth’s side with former key men Rob Dickie and Seny Dieng moving on to Bristol City and Middlesbrough this summer.

Having less than 12 months left on his contract, the R’s aren’t in a strong negotiating position and that could give the Clarets and the Gers an opportunity to secure a reasonably cheap agreement for him.

Leeds United close to sealing Joe Rodon deal

Leeds have secured a loan agreement for Tottenham Hotspur centre-back Rodon, according to Mike McGrath.

The Welshman looked set to have his game time limited at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this term and with this in mind, it’s no surprise that the defender is on the verge of making an exit.

Leeds have recently seen Liam Cooper ruled out of action for a couple of months, making Rodon an important addition.