Leeds United are reportedly close to finalising a deal to sign versatile defender Maximilian Wober from Red Bull Salzburg in a deal worth £14 million.
Leeds United are moving swiftly to secure the services of Red Bull Salzburg defender Max Wober. That’s according to the Daily Mail, which claims the Whites have continued talks with the Austrian giants over a £14 million deal for Wober and are confident of a deal being wrapped up by next week.
Austrian newspaper Salzburger Nachrichten has gone a step further and is reporting that the player has completed his Leeds United medical ahead of finalising a move to Elland Road.
Salzburg would be willing to structure a deal that would allow Leeds to pay in staggered installments over the stretch of Wöber’s Leeds contract, as opposed to paying a fee upfront in one go. Apparently, a fee still needs to be agreed upon between the two clubs, with the sum likely to be around the £14 million mark.
Everything appears to be falling into place for this deal to go through, and it looks like Wober is heading for Leeds except for any change of heart.
Indeed, it was the current Whites’ boss Jesse Marsch who first brought Wober to Salzburg back in 2019 on a €12 million deal from Sevilla, and the Salzburg captain has gone on to make 81 appearances for the side since then, scoring five times and bringing his leadership skills to the table, as well as helping them win three Austrian Bundesliga titles.
He has made 15 appearances in the Austrian Bundesliga this season, scoring a solitary goal and racking up two assists. The Austrian has spent the bulk of this season at left-back, but he, like Pascal Struijk, has a lot of experience at centre-back.
Signing Wober means that Jesse Marsch will have even more flexibility than before. Leeds currently have plenty of alternatives at the heart of their defence, so he will most likely be used as a left back, with Junior Firpo struggling for form and fitness in the position.
The Whites have struggled at the back this season, and Wober will not only bring competition for places, but his ball-playing qualities, leadership skills, and vast experience at the top level, notably at the international level for Austria and in the Champions League, will help the Whites shore up their leaky defence.
And for just shy of £15 million, the 24-year-old could prove to be shrewd piece of business, given his talent, experience, and age profile. While nothing is set in stone just yet, things are moving in the right direction, and it’s a matter of when, not if, Wober follows the footsteps Brenden Aaronson, Tyler Adams, and Rasmus Kristensen in reuniting with their former coach Marsch at Elland Road.