Leeds suffer another transfer blow as Sheffield United set to win race for left-back target
Leicester City’s Luke Thomas was a target for Daniel Farke, but now he looks to be heading to the Premier League with the Blades
After being turned down by Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Nadiem Amiri, the last thing Leeds United would have wanted was more transfer blows.
The Whites have made some inroads when it comes to incoming deals in the last week, with both Joel Piroe and Djed Spence arriving at Elland Road in what have to be seen as significant coups.
However, Daniel Farke still needs to strengthen in other areas of the pitch, with a winger, midfielder and left-back all seemingly on the agenda for the Leeds head coach.
And one player that United are said to have had their eyes on is that of Luke Thomas, who plies his trade for Leeds’ Championship rivals Leicester City.
First reported by TEAMtalk earlier this week, Thomas has been eyed up by the club thanks to injuries in the left-back department, with Junior Firpo sidelined until September and natural right-back Sam Byram – who was covering in that area as well as youngster Leo Hjelde playing there recently – also now on the treatment table.
Attentions have turned to Thomas in recent days, with the 22-year-old not featuring this season so far under new Foxes bos Enzo Maresca, who is preferring to use Man City loanee Callum Doyle on the left-hand side of a back four with his left-back tucking in to form part of a back three in possession in the Italian’s system.
It has left Thomas somewhat surplus to requirements at the King Power Stadium despite racking up 85 appearances for City since his debut in July 2020, and a move to Leeds looked likely.
However, it now appears that the West Yorkshire outfit have now been gazumped by a county rival, but it will mean that Thomas will be playing Premier League football for the 2023-24 season if a deal gets over the line.
What is the latest on Leeds United’s pursuit of Luke Thomas?
According to a report from Football Insider, Leeds are set to be beaten to the Thomas deal by Sheffield United.
The Blades are suffering from injury problems in that area of the pitch themselves, with Rhys Norrington-Davies, Max Lowe and Ben Osborn on the sidelines, leaving Troyes loanee Yasser Larouci as Paul Heckingbottom’s only option.
But they have now struck a deal to take Thomas on loan for the remainder of the campaign in a move which will add Premier League experience to their squad, and with Leeds being a Yorkshire rival it means that they have gotten one over on the Whites.
What next for Leeds United?
Leeds will almost certainly still be in the market for a new left-back in the next 48 hours.
Daniel Farke turned to both Cody Drameh and Jamie Shackleton – not natural left-backs by any stretch of the imagination – when Byram was injured at Ipswich, which perhaps shows his desperation to land a fresh face in that area.
Thomas would have been an ideal target with his Premier League experience for Leicester, but they will now have to look elsewhere and may even have to go across to Europe to find a new signing – Stoke’s Josh Tymon has been linked but he may not provide enough quality as he doesn’t appear to be even Alex Neil’s first-choice at the Potters.