Leeds United Join Porto’s Bid for €18m Full-Back: Right Choice For Farke? | OneFootball

Leeds United have made their interest known in PSV Eindhoven’s Brazilian full-back, Mauro Júnior, with reports confirming the club have already approached his representatives. According to Voetbal International, FC Porto and the Premier League outfit are among several clubs tracking the 27-year-old, alongside a number of other South European sides.

Leeds United target PSV Eindhoven’s versatile €18m full-back this summer

The player joined PSV from Desportivo Brasil in 2017 and has operated primarily as a left-back, occasionally dropping deeper into defensive midfield. He has won four Eredivisie titles during his nine seasons at the Philips Stadion and played 200 games for the club, contributing nine goals and 23 assists across all competitions. This season alone, he registered a goal and 11 assists from 37 appearances, numbers that attracted serious attention from clubs across Europe.

He is contracted at PSV until 2029, but his deal contains a release clause at a reportedly limited fee, which Leeds and Porto are both aware of. To prevent his departure, PSV are seeking to offer him an improved contract specifically to eliminate that clause. His own ambitions bring the uncertainty, as he is at a crossroads in his career, with his goal of representing the Brazilian national team feeling no closer while at Eindhoven.

Leeds United face a real challenge from European rivals

Daniel Farke‘s side finished 14th with 47 points, meaning they cannot offer European football next term. FC Porto, who won the Primeira Liga and qualified for the Champions League, hold a clear advantage in that regard. Farke has publicly admitted he does not have a proper like-for-like backup for Gabriel Gudmundsson, who has battled injury concerns this season, making this position a genuine transfer priority heading into the summer window.

Good option for Daniel Farke?

EINDHOVEN, NETHERLANDS – AUGUST 03: Mauro Junior of PSV in action during the Johan Cruijff Schaal match between PSV and Go Ahead Eagles at Philips Stadion on August 03, 2025 in Eindhoven, Netherlands. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)

Mauro Júnior is a genuinely interesting option for Farke, but the fit is more complicated than it first appears. He is a player who thrives in an attack-minded system where he gets licence to push forward, which suits PSV’s relentless style. Leeds, to their credit, showed signs of exactly that under Farke this season. The problem is not his quality. It is the competition.

FC Porto can offer him Champions League football and a pathway that might strengthen his case for Brazil. Leeds United simply cannot match that. A release clause makes any deal achievable financially, and Transfermarkt’s €18m valuation places him within reach, given the club’s £144.5m Premier League prize money this season. However, signing him as a squad backup feels like an undersell of his ability. If Farke genuinely sees him as a starter who can push Gudmundsson, this transfer makes sense. If it is purely a cover, Porto will win this race comfortably.