Leeds United’s move to sign Germany international Julian Brandt is in jeopardy after Real Sociedad entered the race, according to TEAMtalk.

The Whites have had an excellent summer transfer window so far, despite losing key defender Pascal Struijk, as they brought in Harry Wilson from Fulham on a free transfer, Tarik Muharemovic in a £34m deal from Sassuolo, and agreed a club-record £40m+ deal to sign new goalkeeper James Trafford.

But the club are still looking to add more firepower to Daniel Farke’s squad for the upcoming campaign as they look to move away from relegation battles, and they had been in the driver’s seat for a major coup until recently.

Leeds Move for Brandt Being Hijacked

Brandt, who has previously been dubbed a ‘junior David Beckham’ due to his ‘elite crossing’, is a free agent this summer after leaving Borussia Dortmund at the end of his contract.

A number of clubs in Turkey, Italy, and the Netherlands have all made pitches to the 30-year-old playmaker, but it was Leeds who were understood to be leading the race for his signature, with the player keen to test himself in the Premier League. In fact, the 49ers had tabled a three-year contract offer to the player, and he had visited the club’s Thorp Arch training ground.

However, Leeds are now fearing the worst after La Liga giants Real Sociedad entered the race and made a ‘compelling’ pitch to convince him to join them instead.

Sociedad have offered the ‘special’ player a regular place in their starting lineup, and are hoping that the fact they will be playing European football in the 2026/27 season could be enough to tempt him to choose them over Leeds.

It’s understood that the decision for the 48-cap international is essentially a straight shootout between Leeds and Sociedad at this stage, and Leeds hope that his preference for the Premier League will be enough to win the battle. They also believe their strong German contingent, which includes the manager and his staff, and midfielder Anton Stach, could help.

Leeds Signing Brandt a Huge Coup

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Leeds managed to avoid relegation from the Premier League with a few games to spare last season, but it didn’t always look very comfortable for them, and they know that they need to strengthen to avoid another battle.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin enjoyed a fine maiden campaign at Elland Road following his free transfer move from Everton, and pairing him with Brandt’s brilliant passing ability and quality in the final third could be a great way of unlocking another level from the striker.

Bringing in a player who has played regularly at the highest level in recent years would be a huge coup for a club that was playing in the Championship 18 months ago, and the 49ers must do everything they can to secure the deal ahead of Real Sociedad.

Bournemouth striker Eli Junior Kroupi has been ruled out for 3-4 months after suffering a foot injury in training, all but ending Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur’s hopes of a deal this summer, according to David Ornstein.

The Gunners have been in the market for a new forward this summer and Kroupi had emerged as a target following a record-breaking 13 goal season in the Premier League last season. Spurs, on the other hand, are keen to bring in two new forwards, and Kroupi had been linked as one of their top targets alongside Savinho.

But a move away now looks impossible after the striker was forced to jet back from the club’s tour of Austria to undergo surgery.

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Kroupi, who has been described as ‘world-class’, has been one of the most sought-after forwards in the transfer market this summer, with a number of top clubs keeping a close eye on his situation.

Bournemouth, however, have been adamant that he will not be sold under any circumstances, refusing to put a valuation on the player as they look to keep him at the Vitality Stadium.

Now, any hopes that Arsenal or Spurs had of getting a deal done later in the window have been scuppered, after the French forward suffered a fracture of his fifth metatarsal and was forced to undergo surgery.

The player flew home from the club’s pre-season tour in Austria and underwent successful foot surgery on Wednesday, and is now expected to be sidelined until late October or November.

The injury is a huge blow for Bournemouth too, who had been planning their campaign around the star forward for new manager Marco Rose. The club have already bolstered their forward options with the £21m signing of Alvaro Rodriguez from Elche, while they are adamant that Brazil star Rayan will also stay put despite strong interest.

North London Duo Must Return to Drawing Board

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It’s no surprise that Kroupi was attracting major attention following his performances in the Premier League, but both Arsenal and Tottenham, plus any other interested clubs, will now have to go back to the drawing board.

Bournemouth had always been adamant that he wouldn’t be sold, but there was strong links consistently that bids would be made anyway, which may have seen their stance waiver or the player’s desires come into play.

But it now becomes a total non-story due to the injury, and those clubs must start to look at alternative options in the market, or decide whether they will go with what they already have and try for Kroupi in the future.