Crystal Palace monitoring Ladislav Krejci as Leeds United lead race for £26m La Liga defender | OneFootball

Crystal Palace are closely monitoring a potential summer move for defender Ladislav Krejci, keeping tabs on a player who has emerged as a serious target for Leeds United.

The Czech Republic international spent the season on loan at Wolves from LaLiga side Girona and is attracting substantial interest as the summer transfer window approaches.

Leeds United leading the race to sign Ladislav Krejci despite interest from Crystal Palace

According to a report from TEAMtalk, Leeds United are currently appear to be leading the race and are prepared to launch a formal bid for the defender.

Daniel Farke’s side have long-standing admiration for Krejci, having initially made enquiries during the January transfer window to assess his suitability for a Premier League step-up.

Leeds are reportedly willing to offer a figure around the £26 million mark to secure his permanent services from parent club Girona.

While interest in Krejci remains high across Spain’s LaLiga following his previous impressive stint with Girona, the report claims that the player prefers a permanent stay in England.

This preference gives a major boost to Leeds’ hopes of finalising a deal.

However, Crystal Palace have also carried out extensive scouting work on the World Cup-bound star over recent months, identifying him as a prime defensive reinforcement along with Brentford.

The report adds that while the clubs have done extensive scouting, none of them are as advanced in he pursuit as Leeds.

Crystal Palace’s first priority will be appointing a new manager after Oliver Glasner’s departure

Though the Eagles are actively monitoring Krejci’s situation, any advanced transfer negotiations will likely have to wait.

Crystal Palace’s immediate priority is appointing a new permanent manager following the departure of Oliver Glasner, who signed off from Selhurst Park in historic fashion by capturing the UEFA Conference League trophy.

While the club’s recruitment team continues to compile data on defensive targets like Krejci, formal market movements will remain secondary until a replacement for Glasner is finalised to guide the club’s upcoming European campaign.