Leeds United are interested in signing Norwich sensation Gabriel Sara this summer to bolster their midfield, according to Corriere dello Sport.
The Whites have seen their midfield options significantly weakened this summer after losing Archie Gray to Tottenham and Glen Kamara to Rennes for a combined fee of around £50million.
Now the 49ers are looking to spend some of that money by reinvesting it into the squad, and 25-year-old Canaries star Sara has emerged as a top target at Elland Road.
Leeds are keen to add more midfield options to the current squad as they look to push for promotion back to the Premier League, having already added Joe Rothwell to the team on loan from Bournemouth.
Sara lit up the Championship at Norwich in the 2023/24 campaign, netting 13 goals and registering 12 assists in 46 appearances, with boss David Wagner even dubbing him "outstanding" for his performances.
Gabriel Sara 2023/24 Championship stats | |
---|---|
Games | 48 |
Goals | 13 |
Assists | 12 |
Man of the Match | 11 |
But there is competition for his signature from the likes of Premier League clubs Crystal Palace, as GMS sources exclusively revealed, and Leicester, as well as European clubs Atalanta and Galatasaray according to page 31 of the Italian newspaper's print edition on July 26.
Any fee isn't mentioned, although it's previously been reported that Norwich would want around £30million for the Brazilian. Reports in Brazil have claimed that Crystal Palace have "opened talks" over a move for the midfielder, whose contract is set to expire at Carrow Road in 2026.
GIVEMESPORT key statistic: Gabriel Sara completed 85.5% of his passes in the Championship in 2023/24.
Blackburn Rovers have set a deadline for any bids for star striker Sammie Szmodics to come in from Leeds and Ipswich.
News of interest in Sara has emerged not long after it was revealed that the Elland Road club have had a £3.4million bid rejected for Koln midfielder Dejan Ljubicic rejected.
Current midfield options at the club are slim with newly-appointed club captain Ethan Ampadu, new signing Rothwell and Bulgaria international Ilia Gruev the only senior options for Farke.
Youngster Charlie Crew has also been promoted to the first-team setup, but the 17-year-old is likely to be down the pecking order and Leeds are looking for more experienced options after missing out on promotion by the skin of their teeth in 2023/24.
Sara joined the Canaries from Sao Paulo in his native Brazil in 2022 for around £6million, so would be making a huge profit if they are able to achieve their demand of £30million from interested parties.
All statistics courtesy of WhoScored.
2024-07-26T23:33:40Z dg43tfdfdgfd