Leeds United tipped to 'have a right go' in the transfer market ahead of Portsmouth clash
The latest transfer news from across the Championship.
Portsmouth’s opening day opponents Leeds United have been tipped to ‘have a right go’ in the transfer market after playing their part in ‘one of the signings of the summer’.
The Whites will get their bid to bounce back from last season’s Championship play-off final defeat against Southampton underway with a home game against John Mousinho’s side on Saturday lunchtime. It has already been a hectic summer for the Elland Road outfit after highly-rated youngster Archie Gray and key forward Crysencio Summerville were sold to Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United respectively and swelled the coffers by around £65m. They were far from the only departures during the opening two months of the summer transfer window as Farke allowed the likes of Glen Kamara, Diego Llorente and Marc Roca to leave the club over the last four weeks.
The former Norwich City boss has added to his squad and it seems likely Portsmouth will face a number of his summer additions including former Sheffield United full-back Jayden Bogle and Bournemouth midfielder Joe Rothwell, who joined Leeds on a season-long loan deal last month. Further new signings are believed to be on the agenda for the Whites and Peterborough United chairman Darragh MacAnthony believes Farke will ‘go cuckoo’ during the final days of the window.
He told talkSPORT: “I think Leeds will have a right go near the end of the window. They did the same last year. I just have this sense that the last two days of the window, it’ll go cuckoo as clubs clear the decks. I really like the lad (Summerville) they’ve (West Ham) got from Leeds. I think that could be one if the signings of the summer. He’s got the ability to tear the Premier League apart.”
Chelsea prospect has Championship interest
A number of Championship clubs have reportedly joined Scottish Premiership duo Rangers and Aberdeen in the race to sign Chelsea youngster Leo Castledine.
The 18-year-old attacking midfielder is viewed as one of the brightest prospects in the Blues academy and is now believed to be ready to take the next step in his career by experiencing regular first-team football away from West London. The England Under-19 international has made a solitary senior appearance for Chelsea when he came off the bench in the second leg of last season’s Carabao Cup semi-final win against Middlesbrough.
Football Scotland have reported Rangers are particularly keen on Castledine and are hoping to agree a season-long loan deal with the Premier League giants that will contain an option to convert the move into a permanent switch further down the line. However, Chelsea are not keen on the latter part of that agreement and that could open the door for Aberdeen and a number of clubs from the Championship to steal a march in the race for his services. Reports last month suggested Chelsea would be willing to allow Castledine to join ‘a mid or lower table Championship club, or one of the strong clubs in League One’ in order to aid his development.