Here are the Leeds United evening headlines on Sunday, January 29.
Victor Orta's connection at Juventus 'vital' for Weston McKennie deal completion
Leeds United chief Victor Orta's relationship with Juventus Under-23s Sporting Director Giovanni Manna was reportedly 'important' in closing the deal for midfielder Weston McKennie.
The 24-year-old has been all the talk amongst Whites fans after he was touted as manager Jesse Marsch's next target in the January transfer window and the two clubs seemingly came to an agreement on the deal last night.
It's claimed by transfer expert Fabrizio Romano that Leeds will pay €1.2million (£1.05m) for the loan and that the option to buy in the deal will be worth €33m (£29m) in total including add-ons.
READ MORE: Leeds United transfer news LIVE updates
According to Sky Italia reporter Gianluca Di Marzio, the already-existing relationship between the pair was incredibly key to finally landing McKennie's services before the window shut and Leeds lost their opportunity.
"The footballer will leave Turin tomorrow for medical examinations in England. The good collaboration and relationship between the two [executives] Giovanni Manna and Victor Orta was important to close the operation.
"Soon the agreement between the two clubs will be formalized and completed."
Leeds United's unseen classy gesture after beating Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup
Leeds United's backroom staff showed a touch of class by cleaning up the away changing room at the Wham Stadium following their 3-1 victory over League One side Accrington Stanley.
Team security guard Martin Sykes shared an image on Twitter of a tidy away changing room after the game, with the caption: "That's respect shown for a beauty little club from the LUFC backroom team."
Jack Harrison got the ball rolling when he unleashed a stunning strike from range into the top corner in the 23rd minute. Luis Sinisterra saw his long-range shot tipped onto the crossbar by Stanley goalkeeper Toby Savin, while Harvey Rodgers blazed over a golden chance for the hosts just after the break.
Junior Firpo was fed by a sumptuous pass from Patrick Bamford to add a second just after the hour-mark, and Sinisterra marked his first start since October with a tap-in from Jack Harrison's low ball.
18-year-old substitute Leslie Adekoya grabbed a late goal for Stanley but Leeds ultimately booked their place in the FA Cup fifth round for the first time since 2016.
Jesse Marsch facing Georginio Rutter decision as striker makes Leeds United debut impression
When he made the move to Leeds United earlier this month, Georginio Rutter probably didn’t expect to be making his debut at Accrington Stanley’s intimate Wham Stadium. The record signing has been made to wait to make his first appearance in English football following his switch from Hoffenheim a fortnight ago.
Rutter was ineligible to feature in Leeds’ FA Cup third round replay against Cardiff a few days after moving to West Yorkshire and instead had to settle for a brief appearance in front of the crowd at the interval. He then watched Leeds United’s last Premier League clash with Brentford from the bench last week after being an unused substitute, with Marsch preferring not to throw the youngster into the action.
As a result, the 20-year-old was made to wait for another day to make his first appearance in a Leeds shirt in front of his new supporters and that day finally came against Accrington in the fourth round of the FA Cup. It wasn’t exactly a surprise to see him in the starting line-up in Lancashire, with Marsch revealing his excitement to unleash the forward in his pre-match press conference a couple of days prior, but Rutter didn’t waste the opportunity to make a solid first impression on the 2,616 supporters who had made the trip across the Pennines to cheer on their side.
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