Leeds United enter transfer talks for DR Congo international midfielder as €10m fee mooted | OneFootball

Leeds United are reportedly first out of the traps in the chase for versatile Congolese defender Noah Sadiki, who's just won the Belgian Pro League.

Leeds United are first out of the traps in the chase to sign versatile Congolese midfielder Noah Sadiki, who has just won the Belgian Pro League with Union Saint-Gilloise.

A busy summer in the transfer market was expected for Leeds United following promotion at the end of the 2024-25 season, but they're now starting to move into gear, with reports in the press that they have made the first move for a sought-after midfielder who plies his trade in Belgium.

Leeds won the Championship on goal difference from Burnley, but the fate of the three newly-promoted teams in the Premier League in 2024-25 is likely to prompt heavy spending as they seek to avoid the fate of Ipswich, Leicester and Southampton next time around.

Leeds make "opening offer" for USG midfielder Noah Sadiki

Journalist Sacha Tavolieri has reported on X that Leeds have made an enquiry regarding the availability of the Congolese international Noah Sadiki, who plays for Union Saint-Gilloise.

Tavolieri reports that Leeds have "made contact" with the USG hierarchy, with the Belgian champions owned by Brighton's Tony Bloom, and that they have made an "opening offer" of €10 million (£8.5 million), although with the fact it's a first bid, the fee could go higher if a deal is to be struck.

20-year-old Sadiki, who has been capped four times by the DR Congo, played 39 times in USG's Belgian Pro League-winning campaign in the middle of the park, and was also a regular in their UEFA Europa League stint too.

It's also reported that there may be interest from French giants Lyon despite their financial difficulties, and news of Leeds' bid may also spark interest from elsewhere across the continent.

Leeds have also been linked with Strasbourg and Senegal's Habib Diarra in the last few weeks, and the fresh interest in Sadiki suggests that Daniel Farke is going all-in for a new midfielder.

Noah Sadiki has been impressive for USG - Leeds United could be onto a winner

Noah Sadiki has had a highly successful season, winning the Belgian Pro League with USG, sampling Champions League football, and getting as far as the play-off phase of the Europa League before losing after extra-time to Ajax, despite beating them in Amsterdam.

And even though he's only twenty, that 2024/25 League title wasn't even the first piece of silverware of his career. A year earlier, he was in the USG team which beat Antwerp 1-0 to win the Belgian Cup, and he followed that up by winning the Belgian Super Cup.

It's an impressive first two seasons as a professional, following his transfer to the club from Anderlecht in 2023.

USG paid £1.2 million to sign him, and that must already be starting to look like a bargain, considering what he's achieved so far.

Vincent Kompany, Marouane Fellaini, Romelu Lukaku, Youri Tiemelans and Dries Mertens are all products of the Anderlecht academy - Sadiki had been with Anderlecht since he was six years old.

Sadiki is contracted with USG until 2027, and they're under no obligation to sell, but Leeds will remain confident that they can secure his signature, even if they end up paying more than that opening offer.