Leeds United are gearing up for Saturday’s Premier League opener against Nottingham Forest, but plenty of work is still going on behind the scenes as the club continues to reshape the squad before the transfer window closes.
The Whites remain keen to strengthen a number of positions while also working on more departures.
Leeds have now officially confirmed the arrival of Nico Elvedi from Borussia Monchengladbach, while Joel Piroe and Sebastiaan Bornauw have both completed their exits from the club.
Elvedi arrived with bags of experience both at club and international level, and an upgrade on Bornauw, who was not more than a squad player at Leeds last season.
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Leeds United star played a big role in landing Nico Elvedi
Daniel Farke needed to sign a centre-back once it became clear that Sebastiaan Bornauw was pushing to leave Elland Road in the ongoing transfer window.
Leeds had been linked with Elvedi for several months, and it has now emerged that talks over the move had been progressing behind the scenes for some time before the defender finally joined the club this week.
The Leeds United new boy confirmed that he spoke with his Switzerland teammate Noah Okafor about Leeds and he heard great things about the club and the fanbase.
He admitted that joining Leeds was very much in his mind when he was at the World Cup with Switzerland.
Elvedi said after joining Leeds: “I talked with Noah a little bit, and he just told me good things about the club and the fans, so yeah, I am happy.
“We talked about this club at the World Cup.”
Okafor was in his compatriot’s ears, and ensured Leeds were at the top of his mind when he left Borussia Monchengladbach this summer.
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Nico Elvedi is an upgrade on Sebastiaan Bornauw
Sebastiaan Bornauw was a useful squad option for Leeds United, but he never really had enough chances to establish himself as a dependable back-up.
Nico Elvedi looks like an excellent replacement. The Swiss centre-back has plenty of experience at a high level in one of Europe’s top leagues and has already worked with Daniel Farke.
A regular for Switzerland, Elvedi would bring plenty of experience and quality to Leeds’ defence, and is likely to be a smart piece of recruitment.
The 49ers have generally made some good moves in the transfer market in recent seasons, and Elvedi could be the latest example. Leeds are clearly looking to improve on the side that finished 14th last season, especially with several of their Premier League rivals strengthening around them.
