Leeds accelerating talks to sign £25m star after Wilson

Leeds United’s survival in the Premier League last season has provided the perfect platform for the club to establish themselves as a consistent top-flight outfit next term.

Hull City and Coventry City will both need to spend big to create a squad capable of beating the drop, whilst Ipswich Town now face life without promotion-winning boss Kieran McKenna.

As for Daniel Farke, he too knows the importance of taking full advantage of building on the recent success and avoiding an immediate return to the second tier.

The German has already spoken out to the media about the need for added reinforcements during the ongoing summer transfer window if his side are to reach the next level.

Such a message has appeared to resonate with the 49ers over the last couple of days, with the hierarchy starting to lay down the foundations ahead of a potentially exciting window.

Leeds advancing deal to sign £25m star this summer

After a quiet first 10 days of the summer market, Leeds appear to have ramped up their transfer business after making an approach to sign winger Harry Wilson.

The Welshman is set to depart Fulham at the end of the month when his current deal expires, which has seen him become one of the most in-demand Premier League talents.

However, Farke’s side have got a march on the opposition for his signature, after it was confirmed personal terms had been agreed with the 29-year-old over a move to Elland Road.

After making a move for Wilson, the Whites’ business has shown no sign of slowing down, as attention has once again shifted towards the direction of Southampton star Shea Charles.

According to Football Insider, Leeds are accelerating talks to land the Northern Ireland midfielder after having a £20m bid rejected for his signature last week.

The report states that Farke’s men are set to re-enter negotiations with the Championship side to avoid missing out on his services amid interest from Everton.

A fee in the region of £25m has been mooted to land the 22-year-old this window, but it’s unclear how much the next proposal for his signature could be worth.

Why Charles would be Farke’s own Phillips at Leeds

Top-level deep-lying midfielders have often played their trade at Elland Road, as seen during Kalvin Phillips’ unforgettable period within Leeds’ senior ranks.

The Englishman, who is a product of the club’s academy, was a regular at the heart of the Whites’ side for numerous years, subsequently offering a superb all-round presence.

His phenomenal passing ability, alongside his tremendous ball-winning capabilities, made him a fan-favourite – even resulting in a spell in the England national side.

After racking up over 200 appearances, he would depart in a £45m deal to join Manchester City back in the summer of 2022, which brought his 12-year association with the club to an end.

There’s no denying Phillips’ career has come to a crashing halt since his switch, but the fans in Yorkshire are still craving their next version of the former fan-favourite.

A deal for Charles could certainly fulfil the supporters’ desire this summer, with the Southampton star possessing a very similar skillset to the Englishman.

His stats from his recent campaign in the Championship highlight his quality in and out of possession – something which Phillips made a name for himself for in Yorkshire.

Charles, who’s been dubbed “intelligent” by former boss Russell Martin, managed to complete 85% of his passes, whilst creating 1.2 chances for his teammates per 90.

Such numbers highlight his superb ability to dictate the play from deep-lying positions, just as the £45m man did during his own period in the first team in Yorkshire.

The Northern Ireland international has also been a dominant force without the ball, subsequently making 2.1 tackles and coming out on top of 6.4 ground duels per 90.

The latter of the aforementioned numbers places him in the top 15% of midfielders in Europe – further demonstrating his excellent ability to disrupt the opposition’s progress.

Phillips also became known for his tremendous long passing ability, with Charles’ accuracy rate of 57% better than that of the Englishman during his final year as a Whites player.

£25m for a player of the Saints midfielder’s quality could prove to be a superb piece of business for Farke’s side – not to mention the potential he has to improve further in the years ahead.

The manager will certainly have wished to have been able to coach Phillips at Elland Road, but he could now be about to unearth his own version of the fan-favourite in the coming months.