Here are your Leeds United morning headlines for Tuesday, 22 September.
Brighton reject Leeds bid for defender
Leeds United have seen their bid for another new defender knocked back as they attempt to build for the future.
Brighton & Hove Albion centre-back Haydon Roberts is the latest target, with Leeds reportedly offering £800,000 for the teenager.
However, according to Football Insider, Leeds’ second bid for the player has been knocked back.
Leeds’ interest in Roberts follows their failure to land Brighton man Ben White, who spent last season on loan at Elland Road but has since returned to the first team at the Amex Stadium.
Roberts, who turned 18 in May, scored on his Seagulls debut last season in an EFL Cup defeat by Aston Villa and played 22 minutes from the bench as Graham Potter’s side eliminated Portsmouth from this season’s competition.
Bamford claims Leeds aren’t yet up to speed despite impressive start
Leeds have been in fine attacking form in the Premier League, scoring seven goals in their first two games, and one of their goalscorers has warned the rest of the division they’re just getting started.
Patrick Bamford has been on target in both games, netting one of the Whites’ goals away to Liverpool and scoring the third of four goals as Marcelo Bielsa’s team beat Fulham on Saturday.
However, the striker believes the truncated pre-season means Leeds haven’t quite found their rhythm yet and could really cause problems once they kick into gear.
“We only really had two pre-season games and then the last two games,” Bamford said after the Fulham game.
"I don't think everyone is up to speed yet. Maybe give it five matches and we will probably be in the flow of it and get a little bit more settled I'd say.
"I for one, the first 20 minutes last weekend and this weekend I was really blowing, so it might be something that we'll just adjust to. We're a fit team."
Leeds send young star out on loan after cup exit
United’s Carabao Cup exit has limited the opportunities likely to come the way of their younger squad members this season, and we have already begun to see this play out in practice.
Marcelo Bielsa’s side were stunned by League 1 Hull City, losing to the Tigers on penalties after a 1-1 draw at Elland Road, and Bielsa suggested the exit could prompt him to send players out on loan to give them more first-team minutes.
Jordan Stevens is the first to make such a move, with the 20-year-old joining Swindon Town in a season-long deal.
Swindon boss Richie Wellens had earlier spoken of his optimism over a deal, suggesting his side had been targeting the player for several weeks and were just waiting for Bielsa’s approval before a deal could be concluded.
“All the players who won’t have a chance in the first team, we will try to give an option for them to out on loan,” Bielsa said after the Hull setback, and further loan exits may now follow.
