Leeds United Closing in on Melvin Bard Deal

Leeds United are closing in on a deal for Nice defender Melvin Bard, as Daniel Farke moves to plug a glaring gap on the left side of his defence on deadline day.

The Championship club are set to bring in the 25-year-old on an initial loan, with an option to buy at the end of the season. Leeds will pay an upfront fee of around one million euros to Nice, with a further five million euros required if they decide to make the move permanent next summer.

Bard is travelling to Elland Road on deadline day to undergo a medical, with Leeds pushing to get the move completed before the window shuts.

Farke has been short of natural options at left-back, with Gabriel Gudmundsson the only recognised left-sided full-back currently available. Bard’s arrival would immediately strengthen that area and give Leeds more balance across the back line.

Attack in Flux

While the defence looks set for reinforcement, the attack is in flux. Willy Gnonto is in Florence putting the finishing touches on a move to Fiorentina, a switch that will take him back to Serie A.

Leeds’ willingness to sanction Gnonto’s loan was tied to finding a replacement in the forward areas. They moved for Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk, only to see Tottenham step in and hijack the deal.

So Leeds edge towards one solution at left-back, but head into the final hours of the window still wrestling with a big question: who replaces Gnonto in Farke’s frontline?