Leeds have reportedly opened talks to sign a Barcelona star in the summer transfer window as they look to improve Daniel Farke’s squad.

Leeds have confirmed just one new addition in the summer window so far, bringing in Harry Wilson on a free transfer after he left Fulham.

Despite only one new deal being confirmed, Leeds are certainly active in the transfer market.

Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Leeds are pushing to sign Bosnian defender Tarek Muharemovic from Italian side Sassuolo.

Leeds have also submitted an offer to sign Southampton midfielder Shea Charles early in the window, but a move does appear to have stalled in recent weeks.

The Yorkshire club do appear to have their irons in many fires at the moment, but their supporters will be hoping to see a few more deals getting over the line.

Leeds open transfer talks

According to reports in Spain, Leeds are one of the sides to have opened talks to sign Barcelona forward Roony Bardghji in the summer transfer window.

The Swedish attacker is believed to have more than 10 offers on the table, including from numerous Premier League clubs.

Barcelona have asked Bardghji to find a new club in the summer transfer window, and the La Liga club want a sale with a buy-back option.

Leeds have made their initial approach, but they face plenty of competition to try to secure his signature this summer.

Leeds could struggle in the race, given the competition, but that hasn’t stopped them trying.

Bardghji a highly rated talent

Bardghji, described as ‘one of the best talents in Europe’ by Fabrizio Romano, was incredibly highly rated before he made the move to Barcelona.

The former Copenhagen man has struggled to cement himself as a guaranteed starter with the La Liga club, but that’s no surprise when competing with the likes of Lamine Yamal.

Bardghji is always going to find it difficult to break into the eleven as long as Yamal is there. A move away from the club might be exactly what he needs in order to continue progressing.

Leeds would likely be able to offer him a lot more minutes than Barcelona would, which could make it a tempting destination for the youngster.

It’s now officially crunch time at the 2026 World Cup, with the tournament set to conclude at the end of this week. Four teams remain in the competition, with Spain and France meeting in one semi-final and England taking on Argentina in the other.

It will be historical for the Three Lions if they can make it to the final, having only ever gone that far once before – with Sir Alf Ramsey’s men winning the big prize in 1966. Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane have been key so far, scoring six goals each, but Lionel Messi’s side won’t be easy to overcome.

After all, the Argentines are the defending champions, having won the 2022 World Cup, and Messi is still delivering the goods – with eight goals to his name so far this summer – despite now being 39. If Thomas Tuchel’s men can win on Wednesday, however, they will face an unfortunate historical disadvantage in the final.

History Shows England Could Be Hurt By Consistent Final Losers Pattern

Kai Pfaffenbach via Reuters

As per The Athletic, there is a consistent pattern that should cause concern for both England and Argentina. If either team makes the final, they may be disadvantaged by a scheduling issue.

The report explains that in 13 of the past 14 finals across men’s and women’s World Cups and European Championships, the team that played their semi-final a day earlier won the final. In the only other game of the 14, both semis were held on the same day, meaning neither side had an extra day to recover.

It feels particularly relevant for the 2026 World Cup, with the hot weather conditions making games even more taxing than usual on players. With either Spain or France having an extra day to recover before the final, England or Argentina could feel the consequence of that at MetLife Stadium on 19 June.

The Pattern Impacted England Men’s Team in Both European Championship Final Defeats

The report shows that in the 2012 Men’s European Championship, Spain beat Italy having had an extra day to recover. The same helped Germany beat Norway in the 2013 Women’s European Championship and has continued through numerous major tournaments in the years since.

Even in the 2020 Euros final, England had the home advantage but still lost to Italy as they had four days to recover, while the Three Lions had just three. This issue impacted Gareth Southgate’s men again at Euro 2024, with Spain this time having four days off before the final, while England were limited again to three.

It has both helped and hurt the Lionesses as well, with the England women’s side winning Euro 2021 and Euro 2025 against Germany and Spain thanks to an extra day off. But they also lost to Spain in the 2023 World Cup final, when their opponents had one more day of rest.

It actually takes going back until the 2010 men’s World Cup final, 17 finals ago, before the pattern breaks. On that occasion, Spain beat the Netherlands despite having played their semi-final the day after their opponents.

All of that certainly doesn’t bode well for England if they do make the final, with recent history very much not on their side.

AS Roma boss Gian Piero Gasperini has been speaking about the future of a player Manchester United are said to be interested in. United have been stepping things up over the last week or two, kicking on with their business after deciding to cancel the Ederson deal that was agreed even before the World Cup.

Michael Carrick was clear that he wanted to significantly improve the midfield, especially after losing Casemiro, and the signings of Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans will certainly aid that. But United could yet sign another midfielder this summer, and if they do, France and Roma star Manu Koné is said to be a candidate.

Gasperini drops Koné exit hint

Roma boss Gasperini has been speaking to the Italian media, and he spoke about the future of Koné, who is attracting transfer attention having impressed in the France midfield. He said: “Unlike Malen, he was sidelined for a while due to injury and arrived at the World Cup in better shape. Last year he hadn’t played for France yet, and he managed to earn a starting spot, which shows his true worth.

“His future? I think these Financial Fair Play conditions are never so precise and defined; they vary from team to team. Roma also needs to balance the books, which have been burdensome in recent years. I hoped that returning to the Champions League would be enough, but it’s clear that financial statements are crucial for clubs. I believe there will be more clarity in the coming weeks.”

Asked about this summer’s business, Gasperini added: “The Friedkins (Roma owners) will arrive in the next few hours, and their presence will be crucial. The transfer market is all about speed and immediate responses, as was the case in January. Their presence is certainly crucial. We hope to strengthen this team and respond to the enthusiasm of a city that has sold so many season tickets in just a few hours.”

Koné is expected to cost around £50million this summer.

Koné could fill a Man Utd gap

via Reuters

United could yet add a third midfielder this summer, with Carrick likely feeling as though he and the club are yet to replace the presence of Casemiro, who left at the end of his contract. Santos is a player who can play anywhere in the midfield but lacks experience, while Tielemans has all the experience and can control the rhythm of the whole game with the ball at his feet, but he lacks a defensive presence. Koné is a dynamic midfielder like Santos, able to play forward and back, but his busy approach lends itself well to breaking up attacks and playing that defensive role United may feel they need to improve. Patrick Vieira has even described him as the “best player in France” during World Cup coverage on ITV.