£50m Leeds United target opens door to Premier League move after latest development

Daniel Farke wants to add a versatile left-sided forward to his Leeds United squad before the end of the summer transfer window on September 1.

Chelsea have turned down two loan offers for Mykhailo Mudryk from Leeds and have ended talks with the Whites over sending the Ukrainian to Elland Road.

However, Leeds remain open to reviving the talks and believe the player is very keen to join them over a potential move to France, where Strasbourg want him.

The Whites have been looking at other left-sided forwards such as AC Milan’s Rafael Leao, and there is now a latest development in the transfer saga involving the Portuguese.

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Rafael Leao opens door to Premier League move

AC Milan are looking to offload the winger before the end of the summer transfer window to raise funds, and Leeds are amongst the clubs who have been offered a chance to sign him.

Leeds are seriously considering getting involved for the Portuguese forward as the club continue to add some spark to their squad before the window closes.

However, according to Marca, Aston Villa have got involved in the race to sign Leao in the final week of the transfer window.

The Midlands club have held initial talks with AC Milan to explore the possibility of signing the forward in the coming days.

Leao has opened the door to a move and is considering transferring to the Premier League before the September 1 transfer deadline.

However, the deal is at an early stage, and there is no guarantee that Villa will agree a deal to sign the winger this summer.

Galatasaray are still interested in Leao, but are yet to make an offer that would satisfy AC Milan.

The Serie A giants want between £40m and £50m before agreeing to sell Leao in the coming days.

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Can Leeds stretch their funds for Leao?

AC Milan need to make a major sale this summer to help fund their own transfer plans, and Rafael Leão is one of the players who could command a sizeable fee.

Leeds would reportedly need to pay around £45m or more for the winger, while also being prepared to meet his wage demands.

The Whites have already shown with the James Trafford deal that they are willing to spend heavily when they believe a player can make a genuine difference.

Leão certainly falls into that category. His quality could give Leeds’ attack another dimension and make the significant investment required worthwhile.

His arrival could push Noah Okafor further down the pecking order, but Leão is exactly the kind of player Leeds should be willing to spend big on if a genuine opportunity to sign him emerges.