English Premier League new comers, Leeds United are set to join the array of clubs in England’s top-flight competition with Nigerian players on their cards, as The Whites have commenced plans to hook Eberechi Eze and Emmanuel Dennis Bonaventure in the summer transfer window.
Megasportsarena.com gathered that, while the former UEFA Champions League semi-finalists are gunning for Eze from their recent rivals in the English Championship, Queens Park Rangers, Bonaventure could be on his way to Elland Road from Club Brugge of Belgium.
A report by renowned Belgian newspaper, Het Laatste Nieuws revealed that The Whites are already working on a deal to sign Bonaventure from Club Brugge next month, but they want the Belgian champions to reduce their asking price of 20 million euro.
That, though, could put Leeds at a disadvantage, as Bonaventure is also wanted by the EPL duo of Wolverhampton Wanderers and Newcastle United, but they have also refused to pay the fee quoted by Club Brugge.
That is despite the fact that Bonaventure already made it clear that he wants to leave Brugge in the summer transfer window and he showed how serious he is about his intentions by opting out of their latest friendly against Deinze on Wednesday.
After netting a double against Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League earlier this season, Bonaventure was quickly linked with a future transfer to clubs in the English Premier League, where Wolverhampton Wanderers and Newcastle United got the earliest links with the £22m-rated star.
However, according to Voetbalkrant, Leeds have now emerged as frontrunners to sign the 22-year-old, as the Yorkshire giants are expected to bring in at least one new frontman before the beginning of the new campaign in September.
Bonaventure’s transfer situation has become so thorny that Brugge may drop him from next month’s Belgium Cup Final against Royal Antwerp, as the Super Eagles’ rookie is reportedly no longer interested in training and is against their high their valuation placed on his transfer fee.
The youngster, who can play as a right-winger, left-winger, support striker and center forward, had nine goals to go with two assists in his third season in Belgium, hence the interest from Leeds, who are also interested in signing Eberechi from QPR; as the EPL returnees search for attacking talent to bolster their squad after they officially sealed promotion last weekend.
They were eventually presented with the English Championship trophy in midweek, and The Whites’ coach, Marcelo Bielsa has now reportedly set his sight on making the necessary transfer moves to compete adequately with other clubs they will meet in the top flight.
With that in view, The Sun reports that Eze is the man Bielsa believes can help him add more creativity to his team, even as the ex-England under-21 star is also wanted by the London-based trio of Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United and Crystal Palace – all in the same city where he is currently based with QPR.
The report adds that Leeds are willing to put forward a huge offer to secure the player, who had 13 goals and eight assists this term this season, and The Whites are ready to pay a higher fee if it comes to a bidding war.
The Sun submitted: “Leeds United first approached The Hoops in January over the signing of Eze and are ready to firm up their interest in the attacking midfielder after securing promotion. It is claimed that the playmaker’s asking price is set at 20 million pounds.
“(This) is a sum Leeds United would see as affordable, given the money they are expecting in television revenues for promotion to the top-flight. The 22-year-old, who has one-year left on his contract, scooped QPR’s Supporters’ Player of the Year, Players’ Player of the Year and the Junior Hoops Player of the Year awards for the 2019-2020 season.”
