Leeds United transfers: Whites set to make solid bid for Jonathan Rowe as optimism grows over stunning transfer

Leeds United are ready to step up their interest in Jonathan Rowe by making a firm bid for the Norwich winger – and we understand the Whites believe they still have a chance of beating Marseille to the player.

The Whites began their second season back in the Championship with a 3-3 draw at home to newly promoted Portsmouth in a match that Leeds dominated but failed to translate their authority into a win. And while Pompey will be unfortunate not to have won, having taken the lead in the 92nd minute through a Callum Lang penalty, the visitors could still have lost with Brenden Aaronson scoring a 95th-minute equaliser before squandering a glorious chance to win the game.

Leeds started the match with seven starters who lost the Championship play-off final at Wembley in May, with Jayden Bogle the only new face in the line-up.

And having sold Crysencio Summerville to West Ham in a deal worth up to £35m earlier this summer, Leeds have been left short of winger options, despite Willy Gnonto and Dan James – two standouts in the Championship – both starting in Saturday’s draw.

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As a result, it’s no surprise to see the Whites being heavily linked with Rowe in recent weeks, with the player’s Norwich contract set to expire in a year’s time.

The England Under-21 international looks certain to leave Carrow Road this summer and may have already played his last game for the Canaries, having withdrawn from the squad ahead of Saturday’s defeat to Oxford United.

Leeds are yet to make a concrete offer for the 21-year-old’s services, but are believed to have registered their interest with Norwich.

Leeds Transfers: Formal offer to be submitted to Norwich for Rowe

As a result, Leeds had to sit back and watch as Marseille made their first move for the star, who registered 13 goals and provided four assists in 38 appearances last season.

The Ligue 1 giants’ initial bid – believed to be worth €12m (£10.3m) – was swiftly rejected by the Canaries, who have made it clear that offers for the star are expected to start at around the £15m mark.

It remains to be seen whether Marseille will return with a higher offer, although Rowe himself is understood to have expressed a willingness to move to the south of France.

However, the situation could be about to change in Leeds’ favour and information gathered by TEAMtalk transfer correspondent Fraser Gillan claims the Whites are now preparing their first formal bid to Norwich for the starlet.

The details of the offer are not known, but the Whites are expected to make a higher bid than the one made by OM and something closer to Norwich’s valuation.

And sources have also told Gillan that there is optimism at Elland Road that they can still win the race for Rowe’s signature and that a deal could be struck to bring the tricky winger to West Yorkshire.

We can reveal that Leeds have also made contact with Rowe’s representatives over the prospects of a Championship move. And while Rowe feels he belongs at a higher level, Leeds will attempt to sell him on their project and hopefully secure Premier League football with them this season.

Norwich boss clears up Rowe’s debut mistake

No matter where he ends up, it seems Norwich are reluctantly accepting that another of their star players is on the verge of leaving.

The East Anglian side have already lost another star player in Gabriel Sara this summer, with the Brazilian sealing a move to Galatasaray that could be worth around £22m to Norwich.

It’s understandable that they wouldn’t want to see Rowe leave in the same window, in a move that would seriously damage their promotion credentials.

Speaking after the defeat at the Kassam Stadium, new manager Johannes Hoff Thorup explained that Rowe did not want to play amid speculation over his future.

“Jon and I had a meeting this morning,” Thorup said. Sky Sports after the loss. “He came to me and said that with so much going on and so much interest, he might not be ready to play, not ready to perform. For me it was a pretty easy decision to replace him with another guy.

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“It’s all about the team. And on a day like today it’s about how we can perform in the best way possible. I can’t get into too many conversations with Jonny on a day like this. We have to sort that out on Monday when we’re back.

“That’s the most important thing for him to understand, it was an easy decision for me to make. I can understand with these young guys, it’s the first time there’s been media attention around them and some stories. I can completely understand that, but of course, I also let the players know that I can’t understand that on game day you decide not to be in the team.”

Now that Leeds are ready to officially take the field, and with the transfer window closing on Friday, August 30, the Whites will soon know whether their pursuit to sign Rowe has been successful.