Leeds United are reportedly closing in on the signing of defender Maximilian Wober from Red Bull Salzburg.
The 24-year-old has spent the last three-and-a-half seasons with Salzburg and was signed by Jesse Marsch in 2019 for around £10.6m, becoming the most expensive player in the Austrian Bundesliga.
Wober, formerly of Ajax and Sevilla, began his career as a centre-back, but he has started regularly as a left-back this season, contributing with two goals and six assists in 21 appearances across all competitions.
The Austria international has featured 125 times in total for Salzburg and has won three Bundesliga titles along with three Austrian Cups.
According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, Leeds have an agreement in place with Salzburg to sign Wober in a deal worth in excess of €12m (£10.6m).
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Romano adds that both clubs are now preparing the necessary paperwork before the deal can be finalised this month.
Meanwhile, a separate report from Austrian news outlet Salzburger Nachrichten claims that Wober completed his Leeds medical last Thursday and the defender is attracted by the challenge of playing in the Premier League.
Marsch is known for raiding his former clubs in the transfer market and recruited three familiar faces to Elland Road last summer, signing Brendan Aaronson and Rasmus Kristensen from Salzburg as well as Tyler Adams from RB Leipzig.
Leeds have been hampered with injuries in the left-back department since the end of last season, with Stuart Dallas breaking his leg in April and Junior Firpo sustaining a hamstring problem in pre-season.
Pascal Struijk, a centre-back by trade, has impressed when filling in on the left side of the back four this campaign, but Marsch is now looking to bolster his squad with a natural left-sided defender.
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At the end of 2022, Marsch insisted that he would not speak about transfer speculation, telling reporters: "I am not addressing that. If and when that comes we will talk about it.
"Here's how I want to deal with this (January) window: being active and everyone working hard behind the scenes, but I want to avoid talking about it. I need to keep our attention on our group and our progress."
Leeds have also been linked with strengthening their options in attack, with Club Brugge winger Noa Lang and Southampton striker Che Adams allegedly on the radar of sporting director Victor Orta.
The West Yorkshire outfit currently sit 14th in the Premier League table, just two points above the relegation zone, and they begin 2023 with a home encounter against West Ham United on Wednesday.
Oliver Thomas
