Sunderland strike Leeds United transfer breakthrough with fee agreed for player | OneFootball

Sunderland have agreed a fee for Leeds United left-back Leo Hjelde, according to an update on X from Mike McGrath.

The Black Cats are in need of addressing this area with Dennis Cirkin suffering with injury issues and ex-Leeds man Niall Huggins set to spend the remainder of the season on the sidelines.

Aji Alese can also operate in this position, but he has also spent much of the season on the sidelines and they need a round peg in a round hole now, despite having right-backs who can play on the other side.

Trai Hume operated on the left-hand side during the Black Cats' clash with Stoke City with Jenson Seelt on the right, but it's clear that the Wearside outfit's board are keen to secure a natural option in this area.

They have managed to take advantage of the fact that Hjelde hasn't been heavily involved under Farke despite the Whites' limited options at full-back, with the right-hand side desperately needing to be addressed before the January transfer window closes.

With Luke Ayling sealing a loan move to Middlesbrough and Djed Spence returning to Tottenham Hotspur, Leeds leave themselves at risk of losing very weak on the right if they fail to secure an addition in the coming days.

But they are now set for movement the other way, with fringe player Hjelde looking set for a switch to the Stadium of Light.

However, this departure could potentially allow the Whites to bring someone in, with plenty of right-backs being linked with moves to Elland Road at the moment.

The Norwegian was linked with a switch to Wearside by Alan Nixon yesterday - and talks have seemingly progressed well with McGrath now reporting that a fee has been agreed between the two teams.

With a deal now in place, personal terms still need to be agreed, although there's nothing to suggest that this agreement won't end up going through.

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However, the 20-year-old is set for a permanent move to Wearside, which isn't a surprise considering the Black Cats have invested plenty of money in young players in recent times.

This move is expected to be wrapped up in the next 24-48 hours, with a £2m deal close to being sealed.

Considering his lack of game time this season, it may take some time for Hjelde to settle in.

However, he's clearly a talented player and having already managed to get some experience under his belt at this level before, it shouldn't take him too long to be a real asset for the Black Cats.

At 20, he will only get better too, and there's a real chance they could sell him on for a handsome profit in the future.

It's unclear how much Beale's side will pay to secure the left-back's signature.