Leeds United transfer news: Whites defender wanted by Bundesliga club this summer?

Leeds United defender Sebastiaan Bornauw has reportedly been highlighted as a transfer target by Bundesliga club FC Koln.

The 27-year-old made a one-minute cameo during the Whites' final Premier League match of the 2025-26 season on May 24, when Daniel Farke's side lost 3-0 to West Ham United at the London Stadium.

Secured of their place in the top flight for a few weeks now, Leeds were essentially on the beach in East London, allowing the Championship-bound Hammers to pick up a straightforward victory which failed to save them from relegation.

Starting just five Premier League matches this season, Bornauw is heading towards the exit door at Elland Road, with the Whites supposedly prepared to sanction his departure during the summer window.

Since signing on a permanent deal from German outfit Wolfsburg in July 2025, Bornauw has made a total of 17 appearances for Leeds, with a considerable portion of his game time arriving in the FA Cup.

'One candidate remains' - Koln want Leeds man Bornauw?

According to German publication BILD, FC Koln are set for a summer of seismic change in defence after they avoided relegation to Bundesliga 2 despite a troubling end to the 2025-26 campaign.

The report claims that Rene Wagner's side have opted against pursuing a permanent move for centre-back Cenk Ozkacar, who is preparing to return to the ranks of Spanish side Valencia ahead of pre-season.

It is understood that Koln are looking to sign a defender with greater ball-playing abilities than the 25-year-old Turk, with Leeds outcast Bornauw fitting that description according to the German club's scouting team.

Following a five-game winless run (D2 L3) at the conclusion of the season, Koln could only manage a 14th-placed finish in the Bundesliga, sitting just three points above Wolfsburg in the relegation-playoff spot.

Wagner's side were the final victims of Bayern Munich in the German top flight on May 16, when England international netted another hat-trick in a 5-1 battering of the Allianz Arena visitors.

Leeds targeting PL improvements

After struggling to make a telling impact for Leeds on their return to the Premier League, Bornauw could be frozen out of the Elland Road plans all together if he remains at the club past the summer transfer window.

The potential arrival of Chelsea man Disasi would push the Belgian further down the pecking order of head coach Farke, who is happy to allow the defender the opportunity to play elsewhere next term.

There could also be departures from Leeds' defensive ranks, with Pascal Struijk supposedly attracting interest from Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur.