Norwich midfielder Jonny Howson has snubbed the offer of a new contract and his first choice is to engineer a sensational return to Leeds United, according to Teamtalk.
The football news site claim the Elland Road academy product wants to quit Carrow Road and return to northern England with his young family.
Teamtalk report that Howson’s ideal move would be back to Leeds but Norwich’s £5million valuation is likely to put him out of reach.
It is said that Leeds have made an enquiry about the central midfielder but a deal is “unlikely” at this point, particularly after they signed Mateusz Klich from FC Twente for £1.5million last Friday to play in the same position.
Middlesbrough and Burnley are also keen on signing Howson and are currently ahead of Thomas Christiansen’s team in the race.
Morley-reared Howson is a huge favourite among Leeds fans after emerging from the club’s ranks to start his professional career there and going on to make 219 appearances as well as captain the side.
He quit for Norwich in 2012 and has also been an influential player at the Championship club, scoring 23 goals from midfield in 188 games.
His 2016-17 statistics at Carrow Road are also impressive, with 38 league matches yielding six goals and providing eight assists.
A £5million bid would be a huge one by Leeds’ standards of the last decade-and-a-half, as they have not spent that much money on a player since the signings of Robbie Fowler and Seth Johnson in the autumn of 2001.