Stuttgart winger to join Whites as Liverpool man reveals God’s role in Whites rejection

Leeds United have been cleared to make a summer move for VfB Stuttgart winger Silas after his price tag was made clear, while a current Liverpool star has revealed the real reasons he rejected a club-record move to Elland fruit

The Whites face another season of Championship football after their bid to secure promotion failed to clear two hurdles. Firstly, their 90-point haul made them the first side since Sunderland in 1998 to reach the mark and still not be promoted from the second tier, before reaching the play-off final, only to lose to Southampton who beat. them 1-0.

The cost of staying in the second tier is likely to be quite substantial for Leeds, with club chairman Paraag Marathe admitting that while they have a financial plan in place, those claims are soon backed by a cash injection from new investors. Bull – some player sales will likely need to be made to help balance the books and ensure Leeds stay on an even financial footing.

To that end, Archie Gray, Crysencio Summerville and Willy Gnonto have already been linked with a move, while it also emerged on Wednesday that midfielder Ilia Gruev was a major summer target for Champions League finalists Borussia Dortmund.

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However, the biggest exit fears certainly surround star winger Summerville, who was crowned EFL Player of the Year this season following a season in which he contributed 31 goals (21 goals, 10 assists) in all competitions.

Leeds have given him the green light to sign the Stuttgart winger

To that end, the winger has been linked with a host of sides, with Bayer Leverkusen, Chelsea and Liverpool among those keen, while TEAMtalk also exclusively revealed on Thursday that Fulham have joined the hunt for the Dutch winger and is ready to make a bold move. to bring him to Craven Cottage this summer.

And Gnonto is also likely to be in the spotlight again following Leeds’ failure to return to the Premier League and with Jaidon Anthony returning to parent club Bournemouth, Leeds will likely need to strengthen in the wide attacking positions.

One man who has been mentioned as a target in recent days is Stuttgart winger Silas, who has enjoyed a strong 2023/24 campaign for the Bundesliga side.

And despite scoring seven goals and adding six assists in 30 appearances this season, Stuttgart are willing to take advantage of the forward, who can play on both wings and through the middle as a No.10.

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And with a modest fee of €15m (£12.8m) per head, the 25-year-old DR Congo international is sure to attract plenty of interest.

Indeed, as reported by Suedwest24, Silas already has interest in his services from five clubs, including Leeds, across Europe. And with teams from the French and German top flights among those keen, Leeds will face a battle to sign the star given their extended spell in the second tier.

However, Stuttgart are willing to negotiate his sale and that will give Leeds a hope of securing his signature, especially if their coffers are strengthened by the Summerville exit.

Gakpo reveals real reason for turning down Leeds transfer

Meanwhile, one man who could have proved to be a difference-maker for Leeds in his down year was Cody Gakpo, with the Whites pushing hard for his signature on deadline day in the summer of 2022.

After selling Raphinha in the same summer, Leeds sent a delegation to Eindhoven to try and convince the then PSV striker to move to Elland Road.

And while talks were at an advanced stage and the Whites received an offer, the move fell through at the last minute, much to Leeds’ disappointment.

Then boss Jesse Marsch famously claimed the deal was “so tight” for Leeds, who eventually ended up sacking the American in February of that season before relegation.

Gakpo himself then completed a move to Liverpool in January 2023 for a fee of £35.4m (which rises to £44.2m once add-ons are taken into account) – a record fee received by the Eredivisie team.

Now considering his decision to turn down Leeds, Gakpo revealed that a “prayer to God” helped him decide on the best career path.

The Dutchman revealed: “You have a difficult decision to make and then you go to prayer to talk to God and ask for wisdom. I understand.

“People might think I’m weird. I could go to Southampton, Leeds entered the race and PSV wanted me to stay. I presented God with the three options I had. If I scored once, I’d go to Southampton. If I scored twice I would go to Leeds and if I scored three I would stay at PSV.”

Before the game in question, Gakpo went on to score a hat-trick with his third strike of the lot awarded after a VAR review.