Leeds United want Aston Villa left-back Alex Moreno | OneFootball

Leeds United are interested in signing Aston Villa left-back Alex Moreno this summer and have made contact to do so in the last few hours, according to Foot Mercato journalist Santi Aouna.

The Elland Road club are preparing for life without Junior Firpo, and the ‘brilliant’ Spanish, who spent last season on loan at Nottingham Forest and is expected to leave Villa Park ahead of next season, has emerged as a target.

However, Leeds will face competition from the likes of Real Betis, Real Sociedad and Burnley for the services of Moreno.

The 32-year-old has played 55 Premier League games since moving to England, with two goals and four assists to his name after weighing in with six goals and 15 assists in 146 La Liga appearances.

Leeds are also looking at Mainz 05 left-back Anthony Caci in their attempt to strengthen at the back and prepare for life back in the English top-flight, but manager Daniel Farke could prefer Moreno given his Premier League experience.

The former Rayo Vallecano star won the Copa del Rey with Betis in 2022, with dribbling and intercepting the ball his major strengths, and the Whites could do with his ball-playing qualities next season.

Firpo ended the season with four goals and ten assists in 32 Championship appearances to help Leeds seal promotion after contributing seven assists in 26 league games in 2023-24, and getting the perfect replacement for him could be tricky.

Moreno could prove to be a decent addition to their defence, but convincing him to choose them ahead of other suitors will not be straightforward.

The Yorkshire club need to upgrade in every position if they want to hold on to their Premier League status beyond 2026, and recruiting quality and experienced players capable of delivering the goods consistently will go a long way.