Conflicting reports emerge over Leeds deadline day move for Armenia sensation who boasts outrageous G/A record | OneFootball

Leeds United are being linked with a surprise deadline day move to bring long-standing target Eduard Spertsyan to Elland Road as the Whites look to react to missing out on Jorgen Strand Larsen.

The Whites have managed to add one player to their squad so far this month, having brought in Facundo Buonanotte from Brighton after his loan deal with Chelsea was cancelled. The Argentina playmaker adds another option to Daniel Farke’s side, potentially off the bench, as his Leeds United continue their quest to secure their place in the Premier League for a second season.

But with hours ticking down on transfer deadline day, Leeds United appear unlikely to add further to their squad despite Farke having made clear to the club’s board of his wish to add another striker option to his ranks.

Indeed, with the Whites’ top target Jorgen Strand Larsen set to join Crystal Palace after he passed a medical in south-east London ahead of a £48m deal, Leeds are likely to have to go through the remainder of the season with Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha as their main options and with Joel Piroe providing an alternative off the bench.

As an alternative, however, and in order to hand their squad a boost on transfer deadline day, the Daily Mail’s Dominic King claims Leeds have rekindled their interest in FC Krasnodar attacker Spertsyan, who is the reigning Russian Player of the Year.

Leeds are no strangers to Stertsyan, having first been linked with his signature over a year ago, with the links also re-emerging over the summer months.

And according to King, writing on X, Leeds are ‘exploring a deal’ for the Armenia captain, who boasts an incredible 98 goals and assists (53 scored, 45 assists) across his 168 appearances for Krasnador (22 of which have arrived in 25 appearances this season), in what would prove a surprise late move on deadline day…

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What are the chances of Leeds signing Spertsyan?

As documented, he is a player the Whites have looked at Spertsyan before, though their links to him in the past have never materialised into a firm offer having been made.

However, sources understand he is a player previously recommended to Leeds, potentially through the club’s Red Bull connections.

Despite that, King’s report at this stage is not backed up by any of the other mainstream journalists associated with Leeds United, with none of Graham Smyth, Beren Cross or Adam Pope confirming the links.

As a creative midfielder, Spertsyan is probably not what Leeds need right now, with a central striker, rather than another creative midfielder, their only real need remaining unanswered during the winter window.

Indeed, Smyth goes as far as to say that deadline day is very much expected to be a very quiet affair at Elland Road after the Whites missed out on Strand Larsen.

And with Jack Harrison, their only senior departure of the month, his place in the squad, taken by Buonanotte, Leeds are not expected to wrap up any other late business.

At the same time, Smyth confirms that Piroe is likely to stay at Elland Road – as exclusively confirmed by TEAMtalk last week -, while also confirming Leeds have blocked approaches for both Sebastiaan Bournauw and Lucas Perri this month.

Meanwhile, Jhon Duran’s representatives are scrambling to secure him a move to England on Monday after a proposed switch to Lille collapsed at the final stage, leaving the striker’s future wide open heading into deadline day and with all of Leeds, Tottenham Hotspur and Nottingham Forest pushed as potential destinations, TEAMtalk understands.

Elsewhere, a stunning report out of Spain claims Tottenham and Leeds United have taken initial steps towards signing Real Madrid attacker Endrick to England, though the deal would be for the summer and not right now.