Leeds United in ‘final stages’ of £10m deal for Premier League defender as Jack Harrison exit looms - YEP 13/8/23
The Whites are closing in on a deal for a centre-back as Jack Harrison closes on a move to Everton.
By Mark Carruthers
Leeds United are reportedly closing in on a £10million deal
to make Liverpool defender Nat Phillips their fifth summer signing.
Daniel Farke has already completed permanent deals for
Chelsea defender Ethan Ampadu, Newcastle United goalkeeper Karl Darlow and
former Norwich City full-back Sam Byram. The German dipped into the loan market
last week when he persuaded Tottenham Hotspur to allow centre-back Joe Rodon to
spend the season at Elland Road.
With the loan departure of winger Jack Harrison to Premier
League club Everton expected to be confirmed in the coming hours, Farke is
expected to continue pressing on with his efforts to boost his own squad in a
bid to help the Whites bounce back from relegation into the Championship at the
first attempt. The Leeds boss revealed his ‘confidence’ over adding further new
faces to his squad before the end of the transfer window following Saturday’s
narrow defeat at the hands of Birmingham City.
He said: "(I am) really confident because we have
really trustful chats and I totally believe in the quality of our key people. I
think I just can give compliments to the key people who are in charge at the
moment because I think they're fantastic. We're all judging the situation in
the same way but it's sometimes even a bit difficult. Yeah, when their
contracts are made and your hands are also a bit tied and when there are
financial rules you need to stick to it.”
A centre-back is believed to be high on Farke’s agenda and
journalist Rudy Galetti has revealed Leeds are making significant progress in
their attempts to complete a deal for Liverpool defender Nat Phillips.
Speaking to GiveMeSport, he said: "After the farewell
of Maximilian Wober to Borussia Monchengladbach, Leeds targeted Phillips as a
reinforcement as a new centre-back for the season.
