Leeds United will know the calibre of players they can target in the upcoming transfer window after Sunday’s clash with Southampton.
Leeds are set to face the Saints at Wembley in the Championship play-off final with the winner taking the final place in next season’s Premier League.
Both sides were relegated alongside one another this time 12 months ago and so sealing an immediate return to the top-flight would be huge both on and off the pitch.
If Leeds were to lose, it would consign them to another season of Championship football and 49ers Enterprises have already acknowledged key player sales would be needed.
This is to ensure they comply with the EFL’s strict PSR rules and offset some of the £190 million in unpaid transfer instalments. It is said Leeds will have to raise £100 million this summer.
On the other hand, victory on Sunday would allow Leeds to focus considerably more on who comes in, as they look to build a squad capable of actually staying in the Premier League.
Leeds now want to sign Gent defender Jordan Torunarigha
Leeds have already been linked with a number of players in the event they do win promotion, the most recent of which is soon-to-be free agent Marius Wolf, who is leaving Borussia Dortmund.
Kalvin Phillips has also been mentioned as a potential target, while Daniel Farke’s former left-back at Borussia Monchengladbach Luca Netz is also said to be on the radar.
And now according to Sky in Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg, there is a new defensive target to add to the list Leeds are looking at.
He reported on X last night that Leeds are among the clubs keen to sign Gent defender Jordan Torunarigha, who Plettenberg says has enjoyed a top season in Belgium.
Hoffenheim are also in the race for Torunarigha, who has just one year left on his contract and could be available for between just £2.1-£2.5 million this summer.
Torunarigha is a left-sided centre-back and so would likely be seen as a replacement for Liam Cooper, who is set to play his final game for Leeds on Sunday.
He would therefore be competing alongside Pascal Struijk for a place in the starting XI, with centre-back a clear area that needs strengthening amid Cooper’s departure, and the likelihood of Charlie Cresswell leaving due to his lack of game time.
Torunarigha hailed as ‘one of the best’ in the world by Gift Orban
Torunarigha is seemingly a highly rated centre-back who was capped at a number of age groups for Germany’s youth sides, until he committed to Nigeria.
He made a number of appearances for Hertha Berlin before joining Gent in 2022, where he has gone onto play over 100 times and really make a name for himself.
One of his former teammates at the Belgian side Gift Orban even went as far as rating Torunarigha as ‘one of the best’ in the world last summer.
Orban, who got a big money £17 million switch to Lyon himself in January, believes Torunarigha is excellent both on the ball, and defensively.
Speaking in an interview with Complete Sports in September, he said: “Jordan is a good defender, one of the best in the game at the moment.
“He is a good tackler and very good on the ball too. I’m happy to be here in the national team with him. You can be sure he will make a big impact in the Super Eagles.”