Leeds United transfer latest: Interest in midfielder reignited, Summerville on Chelsea and Liverpool radar, Gnonto "convinced" by exit | OneFootball

Leeds United ended the regular season third in the Championship, with Daniel Farke's side set for another year of second tier football in 2024/25 after losing to Southampton in the play-off final.

Despite enjoying a fine season and clocking up a points tally which would ordinarily win a club automatic promotion,

Leeds will have to plan their next steps for the coming season in the Championship after missing out on promotion to the top-flight, meaning plenty of players will be leaving the club again this summer.

One of the big headaches for the club in the upcoming window will be maximising fees for unwanted players who remain contracted to Leeds, whilst also sourcing replacements for their best players that depart for better opportunities at a higher level in the process.

Having just missed out on automatic promotion, there will remain optimism that the club can be strong again next season, with Championship competition perhaps less fierce at the top end of the division when looking at the teams that have gone up and come down.

However, in the meantime, with a big summer ahead for Farke and the Leeds hierarchy, here we have taken a look at some of the latest transfer news and biggest headlines coming out of the club.

Leeds reignite transfer interest in Tanaka

Leeds look set to reignite their interest in Fortuna Düsseldorf midfielder Ao Tanaka, according to reports in Japan. Sports outlet Hochi have claimed that the 25-year-old has several admirers from clubs across Europe ahead of the next campaign, with Farke’s side said to be one of the interested parties.

Premier League side Everton are also rumoured to be in the mix, as well as Bundesliga duo VfB Stuttgart and reigning champions Bayer Leverkusen. The Japanese international was said to be gaining interest from the Elland Road outfit last summer, with the West Yorkshire outfit apparently tabling a bid that was swiftly rejected.

Ten goal contributions for Düsseldorf from midfield highlight his contribution towards his team’s attacking output; although he tended to find himself deployed in a deeper role during the season, where Leeds currently have Archie Gray, Ethan Ampadu, Glen Kamara, and Ilia Gruev currently vying for places.

Crysencio Summerville transfer latest

Crysencio Summerville appears to be a player in demand and almost certain to leave Leeds this summer, after losing at Wembley could well have signalled the end of his time at the club, as per reports from Football Insider.

It was revealed by the publication on Tuesday that Summerville is set to "push for a departure" after the defeat at the national stadium, with it being said that the club will not stand in his way, should concrete interest and offers emerge over the summer.

The report continues by stating that two of the main clubs who have the Championship Player of the Season on their radar are Aston Villa and Newcastle United, with the Whites said to be valuing one of their star assets in the region of £35-£40 million.

Furthermore, it was reported by the Daily Mirror on Monday afternoon that Liverpool and Chelsea are continuing their interest in the 22-year-old, despite the Blues' ongoing search for Mauricio Pochettino's successor, whilst Arne Slot prepares for his first transfer window in charge at Anfield.

Fabrizio Romano has detailed further the likely situation that will develop with Summerville in the transfer market in the story below.

Willy Gnonto expected to push for Leeds departure

Another player who reportedly wishes to leave Leeds in the summer transfer window, after the club missed out on promotion back to the Premier League, is Willy Gnonto.

As reported by Italian publication Calciomercato, the attacker wants to return to his native Italy after spending a year in the Championship. Although he stayed at Elland Road following relegation last summer, Gnonto had seemingly been keen on a move away from the club in 2023.

That had even led to him missing some of the early games and training sessions in the 2023/24 campaign, and it seems as though the player is now once again looking for a transfer elsewhere. As per this latest update, Gnonto has become "even more convinced" about leaving Leeds this summer, after the club missed out on promotion to the Premier League.

The 20-year-old is therefore said to have made himself available for a move, and is apparently keen to return to Italy, in the hope of forcing his way back into the Italian national team. Gnonto has been left out of the Azzurri's preliminary squad for this summer's European Championships in Germany, having previously won 13 senior international caps.