Fresh update emerges on Real Betis' bid to sign Leeds United player | OneFootball

Mateo Joseph has been linked to the La Liga side again after their approach was rejected in the January window

Real Betis have made fresh contact with Leeds United striker Mateo Joseph as they plot a move for his services ahead of the summer transfer window, according to a new report.

The Whites have recently sealed their return to the Premier League after two seasons away, and preparations will soon begin for next term back in the top-flight as a major summer transfer window beckons.

Spaniard Joseph could well be one of Daniel Farke's players that is in line for a move away in the months to come, following his struggles to nail down a starting berth throughout this term, despite being expected to be a key man in their promotion push at the start of the campaign.

Real Betis make another Mateo Joseph approach after rejected winter bid

Spanish youth international Joseph joined Leeds in 2022, but got his first consistent taste of first-team action last season after the Whites' relegation to the Championship. He scored his first two senior career goals away at Chelsea in the FA Cup fifth round last February.

Georginio Rutter's exit and Patrick Bamford's lack of form and fitness meant that the 21-year-old was widely tipped to be a mainstay in Farke's starting 11 ahead of the start of this campaign. The reality has been quite different, especially in recent months, and so he may well be allowed to depart this summer.

Leeds have shown that they want to keep him for the long-term, after they rejected a £10m bid for his services from Betis in the most recent January window, according to BBC Sport, but the La Liga side have not backed down and have reportedly reignited their interest in signing him ahead of the summer.

In a new report, El Chiringuito journalist Marcos Benito has claimed that Joseph is on the Green and Whites' agenda as they prepare for the upcoming transfer window.

He states that initial contact with the 21-year-old has already taken place, so it looks as if the Europa Conference League semi-finalists are in a relatively strong position to snap him up in the months to come, provided that the Whites are happy to let him leave following their promotion.

Joseph still has three years left to run on his current contract at Elland Road, so, given that they rejected a pretty sizeable bid for his signature just a few months ago, it could take around £15m for him to leave Leeds anytime soon.

Joseph has already been linked away from Leeds - an exit looks more likely this summer

Joseph did not enjoy the fruitful campaign that he looked set to have in the early stages of the season, but at just 21-years-old, it would be a surprise to see him let go on a permanent deal anytime soon, given how highly-rated he is by many in West Yorkshire.

He started in each of Leeds' first eight league games this term, but was soon dropped in favour of Joel Piroe, after registering two goals and three assists in the first 10 outings of the season.

The Spanish youth international was then only named in the starting eleven in just three Championship games from the start of October, and he struggled to feature at all towards the end of the campaign as the promotion race heated up.

He was deemed too important to be let go by the Whites in the winter, but the situation was also believed to be somewhat impacted by their failure to sign Southampton striker Cameron Archer.

Leeds will undoubtedly look to bolster their front-line again this summer, following promotion, which could well mean Joseph becomes available to sign, most likely on loan, unless a sizeable permanent offer comes in from a team that can afford it like Betis.

Recent reports have suggested that Premier League outfit West Ham are plotting a move for his signature in the summer window, but it seems unlikely that he would be allowed to join a fellow top-flight side as the Whites look to become competitive in the Premier League.

That switch would surely make little sense from a personal point of view too, with game-time likely to be at even more of a premium at the London Stadium compared to at Leeds next season.

He recently admitted that "not every step has been easy" this season on Instagram, and even though he seems happy at Elland Road after playing his part in promotion, a move back to his native Spain could well be something he takes an interest in ahead of next term.

Not only that, but Betis could potentially offer him the chance to play Champions League football, as they currently sit just one point and one place outside the top five in La Liga. It will surely be something he considers, but Leeds will no doubt demand a decent fee for his services this summer due to his potential and pedigree.