Leeds United are now in pole position to sign a title-winning midfielder who was on Wolves‘ radar last year, according to a new report.
Leeds face Brentford in crucial battle against the drop
Daniel Farke will be laser focused on as Leeds prepare to host Brentford at Elland Road tonight, in one of the most important home games of their season.
The Whites sit 15th in the Premier League, just three points above the drop zone with eight games remaining, and they have not won in five league outings.
They have not scored in three either.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin dragged a penalty wide at Selhurst Park last weekend and Leeds needed 10 men to hold Crystal Palace to a goalless draw.
Gabriel Gudmundsson is now suspended after collecting a second yellow, narrowing Farke’s options further.
Brentford are formidable visitors, sitting seventh and eyeing European football, with Igor Thiago on 19 Premier League goals and one away from becoming only the third player in the club’s history to hit 20 in a single top-flight campaign.
The Bees have also won five of their last seven away games. This will not be easy.
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He could leave his club for a much cheaper fee than previously suggested.
But the expectation is that Noah Okafor will return to the squad after a five-match absence through injury, and Leeds’ dead-ball threat — they create more of their goals from set-pieces than any other team in the division — could be decisive.
Win tonight and the breathing room begins to feel real. Lose and the final stretch of the season becomes genuinely nervy.
While that battle rages on the pitch, Farke and his recruitment team are already planning for what comes next — and Portuguese newspaper A Bola has pointed the finger firmly at Elland Road when it comes to the future of one of Sporting CP’s most experienced midfielders.
Leeds in pole position to sign Hidemasa Morita from Sporting CP
Hidemasa Morita, who turns 31 in May, is set to leave Sporting as a free agent this summer after choosing not to sign a contract extension.
The Japanese international joined the Lisbon club from Santa Clara in 2022 and has gone on to make 153 appearances for them, weighing in with 10 goals and 13 assists across all competitions.
He is a disciplined, hard-working central midfielder who has been a regular fixture in Sporting’s engine room for three years.
Leeds were linked with a move last summer but baulked at the asking price, with Sporting seeking around £9 million.
Now, with Morita’s contract expiring, they can land him for nothing.
A Bola describes Leeds as hismost likely destination this summer — and it is not hard to see why the pieces fit so well.
His English agent, CAA Base, also represents Ao Tanaka, who is already at Leeds and has settled well under Farke. That existing relationship could smooth the path considerably.
Morita has also been vocal about his desire to play in England, making the move feel like a natural fit for both parties.
Wolves were considering a move last year too, but given their inevitable drop to the Championship, Leeds are much more firmly placed to land the Japan international who’s won four league titles across spells in Portugal and back home.
In free agent terms, the only risk is competition.
If other clubs take note — and with a World Cup on the horizon, Morita is determined to stay in top-level football — Leeds may yet find themselves in a race.
For now though, A Bola says the destination is already written.
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