Leeds United appear to be stepping up their preparations ahead of the upcoming Championship campaign, with Daniel Farke and co looking set to make their first moves in the transfer market.
What are the latest Leeds transfer rumours?
As per The Athletic's Phil Hay, the Whites are seemingly closing in on their first signing of the summer after reaching an agreement with Chelsea for the £7m capture of Ethan Ampadu, with the 22-year-old having spent the last four seasons away from Stamford Bridge on loan.
The 44-cap Wales international could be joined in the midfield ranks at Elland Road by Rangers ace, Glen Kamara, with Last Word on Sports revealing that the Yorkshire side have agreed personal terms with the 27-year-old.
If Leeds are to land the formee Dundee man this summer, The 4th Official has previously suggested that it could require a fee of around £4m, with two years left to run on his existing deal at Ibrox.
Who is Glen Kamara?
The Finland international has spent the last four-and-a-half years with the Old Firm giants after signing for a minimal fee of just £50k back in January 2019, with teammate Scott Arfield having branded that deal the "biggest steal of the century" due to the midfielder's subsequent impact in Glasgow.
Lauded as a "class act" by former Gers boss Steven Gerrard, the 5 foot 11 ace has racked up 193 appearances in all competitions for the Scottish Premiership side to date, chipping in with nine goals and 11 assists from his defensive midfield berth.
That stint north of the border has also seen the former Arsenal youth star win the league title and claim Scottish Cup glory, while he was also part of the side that reached the Europa League final back in 2022.
Although the 52-cap maestro did somewhat fall down the pecking order last term – as he started just 12 league games – he has received glowing praise for his displays prior to that, with Gerrard previously stating:
"He’s a terrific footballer in possession, always playing with his head up and looking to connect defence and attack."
With the likes of Marc Roca and Weston McKennie having moved onto pastures new – and with Tyler Adams still facing an uncertain future at Elland Road – Farke could be set to revamp his Leeds midfield by placing Kamara alongside Ampadu next term.
As Gerrard alluded to, the Light Blues ace is able to offer a truly composed presence in the centre of the park, showcased by the fact that he achieved an average pass accuracy rate of 89% in the league last term, while losing possession just 5.6 times per game on average.
With Kamara the man to 'connect defence and attack' – as per Gerrard – Ampadu can then be utilised as something of a midfield destroyer, with the versatile ace, who can also feature at centre-back, having showcased his ball-winning quality on loan at Serie A side Spezia last season.
The 6 foot menace – who is typically deployed in a defensive midfield role for his country – notably averaged 3.3 tackles and interceptions per game in 2022/23 as a marker of his ball-winning prowess, with that an area that Kamara appears to be weak in, having averaged just one tackle and interception per game last term.
The differing strengths of the pair should make them an impressive combination for the Yorkshire side next term, with Farke finally set to be able to put his imprint on the current squad by bringing in fresh faces.
