Leeds United have moved a step closer to landing the signing of German international midfielder Julian Brandt.
The Whites are keen to make 30-year-old former Borussia Dortmund midfielder Julian Brandt their latest signing this summer.
The club have already added Tarik Muharemovic and Harry Wilson from Sassuolo and Fulham, respectively, but are eyeing the ambitious capture of 48-cap international Brandt, too.
Julian Brandt to Leeds United latest
Dortmund bid farewell to Brandt earlier this summer after seven years with the club, having previously broken through at fellow Bundesliga outfit Bayer Leverkusen.
He made 307 appearances for Dortmund, scoring 57 times and registering 70 assists across all competitions.
Leeds are thought to be front-runners for the midfielder's signature who is reportedly open to the idea of playing in the Premier League at this stage of his career.
Brandt's entire club career has taken place within Germany, aside from appearances for the national team and European competition, in which he is vastly experienced with just shy of 100 outings in the Champions League and Europa League.
Dutch giants Ajax have also been linked with a move for Brandt this summer, along with a host of other top European clubs, all of whom could offer continental football in some capacity.
Leeds, on the other hand, have the trump card of Premier League football, which remains the division in which most players seek to play, for competitive and financial reasons.
Last summer, Leeds persuaded Dominic Calvert-Lewin to turn down offers from clubs with European football in order to join up with Daniel Farke at Elland Road. Brandt may now follow suit after the latest transfer development.
Ajax appear to have agreed to spend a large portion of their transfer budget on a centre-forward, reducing their ability to be as competitive in contract talks with Brandt.
Wolverhampton Wanderers' Tolu Arokodare is reportedly on the verge of joining the Amsterdam club after a dressing room fallout at Molineux and could eventually move for €22 million, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The deal is supposedly a loan with an option to buy, meaning Ajax may still be able to afford Brandt this summer. However, their spending power would be diminished when it comes to contract negotiations due to full coverage of Arokodare's Wolves salary.
Should Brandt complete a move to Elland Road, he would join fellow German internationals Lukas Nmecha and Anton Stach, along with manager Farke and his majority-German backroom staff.
