Leeds United latest: Whites join Celtic in Charles Pickel race, Elland Road expansion plans, Adam Hlozek | OneFootball

Leeds United are second in the Championship heading into a clash with QPR at Loftus Road on Friday, which is the first of their two remaining games in the regular league season.

Daniel Farke's side had been the form team in the division in 2024 up until the international break, although they were defeated for the first time at home in the league against Blackburn Rovers recently, at a critical point in the campaign.

The Whites made up for that with a stunning 4-3 victory over Middlesbrough on Monday, but are still reliant on one of Leicester City or Ipswich Town dropping points in the remaining games to achieve an automatic promotion place.

However, Farke's men entered this season among the early favourites for promotion under his management and are in the mix again as they fight it out during the final ten days of the campaign, where there are sure to be further twists and turns.

They remain in good hands, as the former Norwich City boss is a two-time Championship winner and is aiming for a third promotion in as many years from the second tier. The race for promotion is into its final stages, with the run-in heating up considerably during the penultimate weekend of the season.

Leeds' final games are QPR away and Southampton at Elland Road, with the Saints' own promotion hopes now all-but-over. However, in the meantime, with those games looming ever closer, here we have taken a look at some of the latest news and biggest headlines coming out of the club.

Preston and Leeds battle Celtic for midfielder

Leeds and Preston are among a host of clubs keeping tabs on Cremonese’s Charles Pickel, although the midfielder would prefer a move to Celtic if they lodge a bid.

It seems his form with Cremonese in Serie B has started to attract attention, with Football Scotland revealing that Pickel is on the radar of Celtic, Leeds and Preston, among other clubs, with the player eager to make the move to the Scottish giants if an offer does arrive.

“Celtic have been offered DR Congo international Charles Pickel as Brendan Rodgers searches for a new defensive midfielder, Football Scotland understands.

“The Hoops are believed to have put the feelers out for a player in that position with the Cremonese man, 26, being put to them as someone who would fit the profile perfectly. His name has been put to the recruitment team for consideration, sources have told us.

“There is serious interest in the player's services from clubs in the English Championship, including Leeds and Preston. Football Scotland understands Celtic would be Pickel's preferred destination but it remains to be seen if they will firm up any interest for a summer swoop.”

Elland Road expansion update

Leeds have held talks with relevant stakeholders in the city as the club continues to take steps towards expanding Elland Road, according to iNews, who state that the Whites are working on plans to expand their home stadium to 50,000.

Elland Road has proven an iconic home for the club, with a capacity of 37,890, but 49ers Enterprises, who took over full control of Leeds last summer, are hoping to expand the size of the stadium in the near future.

It’s understood that there is a quiet optimism behind the scenes about the health of the West Yorkshire outfit compared to their last promotion campaign in 2020, but failure to go up could change things quite quickly.

Expanding the stadium is seen as essential for keeping pace in the Premier League, so staying in the second tier might put a pause on any Elland Road plans.

Bayer Leverkusen striker linked with Leeds

Leeds are interested in signing Bayer Leverkusen striker Adam Hlozek in the summer transfer window, according to a report from SportBILD, via Sport Witness. They say that the newly crowned German champions are themselves keen on a player currently on the books at Elland Road, too.

According to this latest update, Hlozek is one of the players that Leverkusen could move on this summer, as they look to make room for new signings. The Czech joined his current club on a five-year deal back in the summer of 2022, and as such, it is suggested that he could be available for around €10million this summer.

It is stated that Serie A duo Roma and Lazio have shown an interest in Hlozek, who is also catching the eye of clubs in England, including from the Whites. However, Leverkusen are also keen on Crysencio Summerville, and could be interested in some sort of swap deal between the two parties.