Leeds United hold talks to sign Werder Bremen’s Romano Schmid (25) | OneFootball

Leeds United are in negotiations to sign Werder Bremen’s Romano Schmid for a reported €15m plus add-ons, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Austrian international has been in demand since the summer, with Bremen knocking back bids from the USA and Turkey. Both West Ham United and Lille were monitoring the player’s situation throughout the summer, while fellow Premier League clubs Aston Villa and Fulham had also shown interest in Schmid but nothing came to fruition.

With 18 months remaining on his current deal, Bremen only have two opportunities to sell their star player for a free, otherwise they risk losing Schmid on a free transfer in 2027.

Leeds United target Schmid as seven goal contributions in 2025/26

Schmid has scored two goals and provided five assists across 15 Bundesliga games from Horst Steffen’s Bremen this season, but they remain precariously close to the drop zone, sitting five points above the relegation play-off after 18 games.

Holding a market value of €17m, per Transfermarkt, Schmid’s potential €15m departure would see him rank joint fifth in Bremen’s record sales, behind only Diego (€27m), Thomas Delaney (€20m), Mesut Özil (€18m) and Niclas Füllkrug (€17.25m).

GGFN | Daniel Pinder