Leeds United have made a formal offer to sign Red Bull Salzburg midfielder Brenden Aaronson, according to reports.
It had been reported that the Austrian side were planning to keep the 21-year-old beyond the January transfer window, with the Champions League Round of 16 clash against Bayern Munich a major influence in their planning.
However, The Athletic have claimed that Leeds have tabled a bid believed to be in the region of £15m for the talented USA international, which has subsequently been rejected.
The report states Salzburg's valuation is higher than that but the Whites remain keen and hope to agree a deal between now and the end of the month.
Aaronson still has over three years left on his current contract which could make a move complicated and hard to come by, although Leeds are still persisting with their interest.
It's easy to see why the Whites want to sign Aaronson, though, given his record since he joined the club from Philadelphia Union back in January.
The former Bethlehem Steel playmaker has scored 10 goals and grabbed 12 assists in 51 appearances in all competitions and his form has attracted interest from sides across Europe.
With Leeds amongst those linked, Aaronson could fit well for a few different reasons. Firstly, he's very similar to Mateusz Klich in play style.
He's aggressive off the ball, with his burst of acceleration helping him put pressure on opponents. He's also excellent at off-the-ball runs, bursting into the box to receive the ball himself or to make space for others.
Secondly, with the 49ers taking more of an interest in Leeds and a complete buyout likely to happen in the near future, a US international who fits Leeds' style of play would seem to make excellent sense from a marketing perspective.
Since making his debut for his country in a 1-0 win over Costa Rice in January 2020, Aaronson has featured 15 times, scoring on five occasions.
