Leeds United are in the market to make additions to their squad in the summer transfer window after avoiding relegation from the Premier League this season.
Daniel Farke led the club to 14th in the top-flight and to the semi-finals of the FA Cup, and the German head coach is now looking to take the next step in the journey.
The Whites are reportedly keen on a £39m club-record deal to sign Sporting centre-back Ousmane Diomande, in their bid to take that next step in the 2026/27 campaign.
It has been claimed that the Ivorian central defender has already agreed personal terms with the Premier League side, ahead of a potential move to Elland Road this summer.
However, they have yet to agree a transfer fee with the Liga Portugal outfit and it remains to be seen whether or not a deal is viable for either party yet.
Leeds in the race to sign World Cup talent
Diomande, who played nine times in the Champions League for Sporting in the 2025/26 campaign, is not the only central defender on the club’s radar.
The West Yorkshire outfit are now being linked with a star who could be an even better signing than the Ivorian talent if they can bring him to Elland Road.
According to TEAMtalk, Leeds United are one of a host of teams interested in a move to sign FC Midtjylland central defender Lee Han-beom in the summer transfer window.
The report claims that the Whites have been keeping tabs on the 23-year-old talent’s performances in Denmark and for his country in recent months, and are now in the race to secure his services.
It adds that Liverpool, Chelsea, Newcastle United, and Brighton & Hove Albion are among the other Premier League teams chasing after the South Korea international, who is currently at the World Cup.
TEAMtalk adds that the Danish side could be forced to cash in on the centre-back, despite wanting to keep him, because his current contract expires next year, but it remains to be seen how much they would demand for his services.
Why Lee Han-beom would be better than Ousmane Diomande for Leeds
Whilst Leeds are reportedly interested in a possible club-record £39m deal for Diomande, Lee could be an even better signing for Farke’s side in the summer window.
For starters, it is unlikely that he would cost a club-record fee. Midtjylland have never sold a player for £20m or more and he only has 12 months left on his contract, so he could be significantly cheaper than the Sporting star.
Lee, who has been described as “one of Europe’s most underrated young defenders” by journalist Graeme Bailey, also produced more impressive performances than Diomande at league level in the 2025/26 campaign.
|
25/26 season |
Lee (Superliga) |
Diomande (Liga Portugal) |
|---|---|---|
|
Appearances |
29 |
17 |
|
Tackles + interceptions per game |
2.5 |
1.4 |
|
Clearances per game |
4.0 |
3.5 |
|
Blocks per game |
0.8 |
0.4 |
|
Ground duel success rate |
48% |
38% |
|
Aerial duel success rate |
67% |
57% |
|
Duels won per game |
5.3 |
3.2 |
|
Fouls committed per game |
1.2 |
1.6 |
The 23-year-old colossus was more dominant in his duels on the ground and in the air, whilst making more defensive interventions per game on average, which suggests that he is more likely to suit the physicality of the Premier League.
Lee may be more suited to playing in England than Diomande because of the physicality that he can bring to the pitch at centre-back, as he will have to defend against the likes of Erling Haaland, Viktor Gyokeres, and Igor Thiago.
The Midtjylland star also showcased his physical prowess on the European stage for the Danish side, winning 60% of his ground duels and 57% of his aerial duels across nine outings in the Europa League.
On top of being impressive at club level, Lee caught the eye on his World Cup debut against Czechia earlier this week in South Korea’s opening group match of the tournament.
The Leeds target won five of his seven aerial duels, made six defensive contributions, and was not dribbled past a single time in 90 minutes on the pitch for his country, whilst he also completed 84% of his attempted passes.
An issue for the Whites may be that bigger clubs could decide to make moves for him if he continues to impress at the World Cup, which is why they should swoop for the 23-year-old star as quickly as possible.
His form in Denmark and his potential price tag suggest that he would be an even better signing than Diomande for the Whites, as it could free up money to use in other positions and result in the club landing an even better out-and-out defender.
He’s better than Diomande: Leeds burst into race to sign £17m+ star
Leeds United are reportedly in the race to sign a star who could be even better than Ousmane Diomande.
