Leeds United are among a host of Championship clubs in pursuit of Aston Villa’s Tommy Elphick this summer, according to the Birmingham Mail.
The newspaper claim that the Whites have joined Birmingham City and recently relegated Sunderland in the chase for the centre-back, 29, who has lost his first team berth at Villa Park.
They report that new Sunderland boss Simon Grayson views Elphick as a potential replacement for £8million-rated Lamine Kone, who they are willing to let depart the club this summer following their fall from the Premier League.
Meanwhile Birmingham City boss Harry Redknapp is said to be in the market for a new centre-back, having missed out on former Chelsea captain John Terry to Elphick’s Villa.
As for Leeds boss Thomas Christiansen, he has a defensive crisis ahead of the upcoming season, with just one senior centre-back, Liam Cooper, set to be available for their opening clash against Bolton on August 6.
He has recently spoken out about the need to bolster his back line this summer, and it could be that the experience of Elphick could be what the Danish manager is looking for.
Last season saw him begin the campaign as Villa captain under Roberto Di Matteo, but the arrival of Steve Bruce saw him lose both the cpataincy and his place in the first team.
He made 26 appearances across all competitions but earned just nine starts under the former Hull and Sunderland boss, while he has 111 Championship games under his belt.