Fleetwood Town deal for Leeds United player in doubt as seven-figure bid arrives | OneFootball

Fleetwood Town are reportedly interested in signing Darko Gyabi on loan from Leeds United before tonight's 11pm transfer deadline, although interest from Valenciennes is refusing to go away, with the Ligue 2 outfit bidding for a permanent deal.

Leeds are in the process of freeing up a number of their younger players for loan moves for the 2023/24 season, with Gyabi one of those on the cusp of Daniel Farke's first-team plans.

According to The Athletic, Fleetwood are interested in Gyabi as they bid to bolster their midfield options.

Who is Darko Gyabi?

Leeds signed Gyabi from Manchester City last summer for a fee reportedly in the region of £5m.

The central midfielder is also an England youth international, who made 20 appearances in the Premier League 2 Division 2 last season as Leeds' U21s won promotion.

In terms of his senior career at Elland Road, the 19-year-old has made five appearances in all competitions.

The Athletic are reporting that Gyabi is on Fleetwood's radar ahead of tonight's 11pm transfer deadline.

It was reported yesterday by the Yorkshire Evening Post that Ligue 2 outfit Valenciennes had tabled a £4m package to sign Gyabi permanently from Leeds, which had been rejected. However, a twist has emerged, with The Athletic reporting that the French outfit, who are under the same ownership umbrella as Southampton, have returned with a £5m offer.

Yesterday it was noted that Leeds weren't against loaning Gyabi elsewhere in the final 24 hours of the transfer window. Phil Hay adds that Leeds are "ready to let him leave on a temporary basis" today as Scott Brown's men circle.

As things stand, Fleetwood are the only named side interested domestically, a move that Gyabi was willing to take. The second bid from Valenciennes has "put that transfer on hold" with under eight hours of the window remaining.

The Yorkshire Evening Post have also credited them with an interest in Lewis Bate at Leeds, albeit that report has played down the possibility of a deal being done.

Bate, like Gyabi, has been on the cusp of things at Leeds so far this season and has had limited opportunities.

He is another central midfielder and was on loan last season at Oxford United.

After a positive year in the U21s after signing from Man City and finding himself on the cusp of the first-team at Elland Road, the hope was Gyabi could push on in 2023/24 after Leeds' relegation.

However, in the opening month of the season under Farke the midfielder has struggled to seize his chance.

The teenager started Leeds' first round EFL Cup clash with Shrewsbury Town, but was hooked at half-time after a difficult 45 minutes at a time the Whites were trailing 1-0 - they would go on to progress with a 2-1 win.

Gyabi also featured from the bench as a late, late substitute in the win over Ipswich Town last weekend, but has found himself behind 17-year-old Archie Gray and new signing Ethan Ampadu in the pecking order.