Leeds United reportedly turned down the opportunity to sign Manchester United’s Donny van de Beek and Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Winks in January.
The Whites were keen to recruit a new midfielder last month, with Red Bull Salzburg’s Brenden Aaronson their primary target; however, his potential transfer to Elland Road failed to materialize.
According to the Yorkshire Post, Leeds was offered both Van de Beek and Winks late in the January window as alternatives, but neither player had the necessary qualities that head coach Marcelo Bielsa was looking for in a center-midfielder.
Van de Beek eventually moved to Everton on loan, while Winks seems to have cemented his place in Antonio Conte’s first-team plans, after starting each of Tottenham’s last four matches.
Leeds’ only arrival in January was 18-year-old striker Mateo Joseph Fernandez, who joined the club from Espanyol for an undisclosed fee and will link up with the Under-23s squad.
While the Whites failed to recruit a key first-team player last month, they were able to hold on to both Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha, who attracted late interest from West Ham United.
