Leeds United are still revelling in their Friday night 3-0 victory at Aston Villa, but the work behind the scenes never stops.
Director of football Victor Orta will be scouting and analysing future transfer targets, with the potential for more business in the January transfer window.
There’s also contracts to sort out behind the scenes in the bid to keep Marcelo Bielsa’s first-team squad together, while new details are always emerging on deals that did and didn’t happen over the summer.
With all that in mind, here are all the latest Leeds transfer news and gossip.
New contract in the works for cult hero
Football Insider claims Leeds United are preparing to offer a new contract to Ezgjan Alioski.
The versatile North Macedonia international, 28, has scored 20 goals in 137 appearances for the Whites since joining in the summer of 2017 – one of Orta’s first recruits as director of football.
It’s questionable whether he still gets into Bielsa’s first-choice XI, but he’s remained a useful squad player in the Premier League, slotting in at left-back in Friday’s 3-0 victory at Aston Villa as Stuart Dallas switched to the other flank.
His current deal expires next June, but the new report states Leeds are keen to see him extend his stay at Elland Road.
Smith addresses Phillips transfer speculation
Aston Villa manager Dean Smith has confirmed that club were considering a move for Kalvin Phillips last summer.
It’s understood the Leeds academy graduate turned down a big-money offer from a Premier League side after missing out on promotion in 2018/19, keen to have another shot at making it to the top flight with his boyhood club.
Smith has admitted Villa were interested in Phillips, but conceded a move couldn’t be done and praised Phillips for his continued development at Leeds, which has seen him rewarded with call-ups for England.
"He was on a list of players that we were interested in," he told Birmingham Live.
"As far as I was aware it never got past initial talks stage with the price tag they wanted and rightly so if you look at their season last year and what they're going now."
Potter responds to renewed White transfer talk
Brighton manager Graham Potter has reiterated his stance on Ben White after Leeds’ failed approach to sign the defender in the summer.
The Whites have moved on from the 22-year-old, who played every minute in United’s promotion-winning campaign last term, going on to sign Robin Koch and Diego Llorente instead.
But in spite of signing a new deal at the Amex and the transfer window closing earlier this month, speculation continues with reports linking White with a move away.
Liverpool are said to be weighing up a £50 offer as they look to find someone to deputise for the sidelined Virgil van Dijk.
"I think it is a bit like it was at the start of the season. All sorts of talk about him doing this, him doing that, and it is generated by outside, by outside of our control really,” Potter said.
"It is part of the football noise. The transfer window closed last week and we are already having conversations around transfer speculation. It’s just the way it is.”
