Here are your Leeds United transfer rumours on Thursday, April 14.
Keane lauds former Leeds target
Roy Keane has heaped praise on former Leeds United target Maxwel Cornet, who has had a brilliant season since joining Burnley from Lyon for £13million last summer. The Ivory Coast international was linked with a move to Leeds but ended up joining the Clarets instead.
It had been reported in July 2021 that the Whites made a £10million bid for the winger, which was turned down by the French club. This season, Cornet has scored seven goals in 20 appearances and he could vital as Burnley push to stay in the Premier League.
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"He started the season really well with some real quality goals," Keane told Sky Sports. "The variation of his goals.
"Brilliant strike-rate and technique. He is obviously a big plus to Burnley. He hit the ground running, with some brilliant strikes. Fantastic. He had a little bit of a dip, come back after the Africa Cup of Nations, but that can happen."
Godfrey on Leeds rejection
Everton defender Ben Godfrey has revealed how he had to cope with rejection from Leeds United and several other clubs before making it as professional footballer. The versatile defender has flourished at Goodison Park, earning his first England call-up, but his path to the top level was not without setbacks.
Godfrey says he was turned down by Middlesbrough, Leeds United, Sheffield Wednesday and Barnsley before making a top flight breakthrough. He was shown the door by Boro before unsuccessful trials with Leeds, Wednesday and Barnsley. And it was the Elland Road rejection which spurred him on to prove the doubters wrong.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Godfrey said: “It felt a little bit like the dream was over [after his Middlesbrough release]. After that, there were trials with Barnsley, Sheffield Wednesday and Leeds United. None led to a contract. For them to say no was a massive confidence-breaker, really. It looked like the end of the journey.
"The moment that stands out massively is after that Leeds United trial. The coach told me they were not going to offer me anything but to go and prove him wrong. That stuck with me. I was desperate then. I could not wait to go and prove them wrong.”
After dropping down the pyramid to join his hometown club York City, Godfrey made his debut at the tender age of 17. An impressive loan spell with Shrewsbury Town prompted Norwich City to take a chance on him.
Driven to reach the top and prove people wrong, Godfrey was snapped up by Everton for a fee rising to £25 million with add-ons in the summer of 2020. He was voted Young Player of the Season in his maiden Goodison Park season. His rapid progress earned him two England caps prior to Euro 2020.
"It is a strange old journey," admitted the 24-year-old. "I looked up to those lads in academies at big clubs when doing my scholarship at York but in the long run is that beneficial for them? I am not so sure. I have friends who were at so-called bigger clubs than me at a younger age and we just passed each other.
"But every path is different, there is not just one route to success, you have to try to consider the best options presented to you in line with your goals."
Leeds will 'definitely' sign a player in key area
The loss of Patrick Bamford for the majority of the season has been one of the key factors in Leeds have a troublesome second season in the Premier League. One of the main issues has been Leeds' lack of a natural player to cover for the loss of their number nine.
However, according to journalist, Dean Jones, Leeds will rectify this in the summer as they will 'definitely' sign a striker. Jones said:
"Leeds are definitely going to sign a striker. I think it's irrelevant of whether Bamford is fit or not. We've seen that you have to have a backup for him."
