Leeds United Agree Elvedi Fee but Await Bornauw Exit
Leeds United have struck a deal with Borussia Monchengladbach for defender Nico Elvedi – and then hit the brakes.
The agreement is in place: a €10m (£8.5m) fee plus a 15% sell-on clause to the Bundesliga club, as reported by Sky Sports Germany’s Florian Plettenberg. Personal terms with Elvedi were sorted earlier in the week. On paper, it’s all lined up.
On the ground, it’s not. Not yet.
Deal done… but not done
Leeds want Elvedi as part of a summer rebuild designed to solidify their Premier League status. Harry Wilson, Tarik Muharemovic, and James Trafford are already through the door for Daniel Farke, who still wants at least one more defensive reinforcement after Pascal Struijk’s departure.
Elvedi is that man. Or at least, he will be if another centre-back moves out.
The transfer is tied directly to the future of Sebastiaan Bornauw. The Belgian has been strongly linked with Hamburg after a frustrating spell at Elland Road, where he managed just nine Premier League appearances following his move from Wolfsburg. Leeds see Elvedi as Bornauw’s replacement.
But there’s the snag: there is currently no agreement for Bornauw to leave. Until that changes, Elvedi’s switch remains parked in the “almost” column.
Elvedi protected as Leeds wait
The uncertainty hasn’t stopped Gladbach acting. Elvedi has been left out of their squad for Saturday’s pre-season friendly against Aston Villa, a clear move to protect the asset. No minutes, no risk. No freak injury to blow up a carefully constructed deal.
His absence underlines how advanced talks are. All sides know where they stand. They’re just waiting for the final domino.
In the meantime, Farke’s centre-back options look thin. With Bornauw and Elvedi both out of the picture for now, the Leeds manager is down to Joe Rodon, new signing Muharemovic and Jaka Bijol as his specialist central defenders. Ethan Ampadu and James Justin can fill in if needed, but neither is a long-term solution in that role.
For a club heading into a new Premier League season next week, that’s a precarious place to be.
Farke’s trusted lieutenant
What makes this pursuit different is the relationship at the heart of it.
Before he took over at Leeds in 2023, Farke spent a season in charge at Gladbach. He didn’t just watch Elvedi from afar; he built a team with the Swiss international at its core.
Under Farke, Elvedi became a key figure, a defender his coach leaned on in and out of possession. Farke was effusive at the time, calling him “one of the best defenders in Europe” when at his peak and branding him “an absolute leader for us.”
This isn’t a scouting punt or a data-driven gamble. Farke knows exactly what he’s trying to bring into his dressing room: experience, composure, and a defender he already trusts to run his back line.
Leeds have the fee agreed. The player is ready. Gladbach are protecting their man ahead of a move.
Now it all comes down to Bornauw. Does he get his move to Hamburg and unlock the door for Elvedi, or do Leeds head into the new campaign one defender short of the back four Farke clearly has in mind?
