Manchester United beat Leeds United on penalties in a pre-season friendly in Dublin on Wednesday night. However, the focus is still on the club’s transfer market.
James Trafford showed the quality against the Red Devils in Dublin that made Leeds pay a club-record fee to sign the goalkeeper from Manchester City this summer.
Tarik Muharemovic and Harry Wilson have shown glimpses of their quality during pre-season and are going to be key players for Leeds this season.
Leeds are expected to add a few more fresh faces to their squad and are also preparing to say goodbye to certain players before the transfer window closes in a few weeks.
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Daniel Farke drops major transfer update on Leeds United star
A few players are expected to leave Leeds before the transfer window closes as the club look to reshape the squad for the new season.
Lucas Perri will leave, but it is unclear whether he will join Torino or Marseille. However, there is noise around the potential departure of Sebastiaan Bornauw.
Hamburg expect to finalise a deal to sign the Belgian defender, but Daniel Farke has insisted that the centre-back knows how valued he is inside the Leeds squad.
He conceded that not everyone can be a regular starter, but Bornauw is a valuable member of the squad that he would not like to lose this summer.
However, he respects the player’s wishes and is in constant dialogue with the centre-back over his future at Elland Road.
Farke said after the game when asked about Sebastiaan Bornauw: “Of course, every player wants to play all 90 minutes and in each and every game and wants to be the main man. But Seb was so important for us [last season].
“I think he had even the best point average for all our players when he was in the starting line-up. He can play different positions in our defensive line.”
If a player then also has his wish and wants perhaps something different and has behaved so professional like Seb has done, then we also take it into account. We are in very open, honest discussions also with him.
“But how much I rate him, how much I wanted to sign him one year ago, because we just can’t always just sign starters. We need to think about the whole group.
“I think he has proven not just during this pre-season but also during last season how important he can be. I could live very, very well if he stays.
“Yes, if he is desperate to do something different, and you’re just out of respect to him and what he has done so far – because he’s always a top professional – we are also of course considering what he wants.
“But let’s see what the talks in the next few days will bring. I can just say my valuation of Seb and what he brings to us is very, very high.”
Signing a replacement for Sebastiaan Bornauw won’t be easy
Just as Leeds United need to find the right back-up for James Trafford, they could face a similar headache at centre-back if Sebastiaan Bornauw leaves this summer.
Bornauw arrived at Elland Road as a squad player who was expected to provide depth rather than immediately challenge for a starting spot. His opportunities increased when injuries left Leeds short of options at the back.
If Hamburg make a strong enough offer and Leeds decide to let him go, the club would have to rethink their plans for the position.
Finding a centre-back willing to join primarily as a back-up will not be easy. Leeds signed Bornauw for around £5m last summer, which looks like a bargain in hindsight, and replacing that level of depth without spending considerably more could prove difficult.
Please stay Seb (Terry Yorath look-a-like) you are doing a great job and all the Leeds fans want you here.