Leeds are opening talks to sign the Premier League forward

One of the latest players to be linked with a move to Elland Road this summer shows the level of ambition Leeds United have for next season.

The Whites are reportedly working on a deal to sign Borussia Dortmund midfielder Julian Brandt on a free transfer when his contract with the Bundesliga side expires at the end of this month.

They are said to be one of the clubs interested in signing the 30-year-old talent for free in the summer transfer window, with the Champions League side said to be among his players.

It is now down to the board and head coach Daniel Farke, who worked at Dortmund before moving to England with Norwich City, to convince Brandt to switch to West Yorkshire.

They are currently in the race to sign this German player and it remains to be seen whether they will succeed or not in their attempts to snatch him.

Leeds United are in talks to sign the Premier League forward

With 57 goals and 70 assists in 307 appearances for Borussia Dortmund in all competitions, Brandt will arrive at Elland Road as a high-profile addition to Farke’s squad.

However, the West Yorkshire outfit are also eyeing another free agent to join the club as a better option than Brandt at the German manager’s end of the pitch.

According to reporter Ben Jacobs, Leeds United are one of the clubs interested in signing Harry Wilson from Fulham on a free transfer in the summer transfer window.

The reporter says that the Whites have contacted his camp to open initial talks to convince the Welshman to move to Elland Road when his contract at Craven Cottage expires at the end of this month.

Jacobs adds, however, that there is significant competition for his signature, with Premier League side Aston Villa and Portuguese giants Benfica also interested in the left-footed striker.

As with Brandt, it is now down to Leeds to put the best offer, from a financial and footballing point of view, on the striker’s table.

Why Harry Wilson could be better than Leeds’ Julian Brandt

The German would no doubt be a top signing given his experience during his time with Dortmund in the Bundesliga, but Wilson may be the better player here and now.

As experienced as Brandt, the German has never played in the Premier League and there will be questions about how he will adapt to playing in England and the rigors that come with it.

Wilson, on the other hand, has spent his entire career in the Premier League and Championship and has proven that he can bring Leeds into the league.

The Wales international, who was described as a “miracle” by former manager Marco Silva, scored three more goals and provided three more assists than Brandt’s league-leading scorer in the 2025/26 campaign.

Wilson scoring another three goals from an almost identical xG to the German star’s xG suggests he can be Leeds’ most effective finisher in the final third, creating more opportunities for his team-mates.

The 29-year-old striker, whose catalog of goals for Fulham is extraordinary, is a proven Premier League goalscorer who would come in and boost Farke’s attack, having scored more goals than Noah Okafor and Brenden Aaronson.

Two ten places behind Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Okafor scored eight goals and Aaronson scored four goals in the Premier League, as both failed to score two goals in the top flight.

Wilson’s form for Fulham suggests he has the quality to contribute more to the team than the two current Leeds starters in number ten roles, and to contribute more than Brandt could if he joined from Dortmund this summer.

That is why the Whites must push to beat the likes of Villa and Benfica to sign him as a free agent, as he could be a key player in Farke’s squad.