Manchester United defender Cameron Borthwick-Jackson is the most likely to be the next Leeds United signing in the summer transfer window, according to a report.
Sky Sports’ transfer section regularly plugs its Football Whispers, which claimed on Friday evening that the United left-back is the likeliest Elland Road arrival following the nine new signings already confirmed.
Leeds continued their whirlwind of transfer activity on Thursday by announcing two more signings, attacking midfield duo Samuel Saiz and Ezgjan Alioski.
Most of the signings so far have been midfielders or attacking players, and the squad are lacking depth in defence following the exits of 2016-17 mainstays Kyle Bartley and Charlie Taylor.
It has been reported over the last week that Leeds have held preliminary discussions with United about signing Borthwick-Jackson, 20, about a loan or a permanent transfer.
Football Whispers, which gathers all transfer rumours across the globe and calculates the likelihood of them happening, rates it 2.4 out of 5 that Borthwick-Jackson will join Leeds, with five the highest possible ranking and meaning it is a certainty.
The teenager is ahead in the ratings of Motherwell striker Louis Moult, who has a rating of 2.0, and Chelsea central midfielder Mario Pasalic, who is rated at 1.4 to transfer to Elland Road this summer.
Leeds have been given hope that Borthwick-Jackson can be prised from Old Trafford after he was omitted from the 27-man squad that manager Jose Mourinho has taken to the United States for the club’s three-week pre-season tour.
The squad announced on the official United website featured a number of players who can play in his left-back position and is a blow to the youngster’s hopes of figuring for the Premier League giants in 2017-18.
Borthwick-Jackson, who broke into the team under Louis van Gaal in 2015-16 but spent last season on loan in the Championship with Wolves, has three years remaining on his contract.
Leeds are in the market for a left-sided defender after Taylor completed a transfer to Burnley for a fee to be settled by a tribunal.