Fabrizio Romano clarifies Leeds United stance on winger as they eye up ambitious European swoop

Fabrizio Romano has outlined the state of play regarding Jack Harrison as Leeds themselves are considering alternative options.

Harrison has been a consistent player for Leeds since his original loan spell in 2018–19. The winger has assisted four goals this season and has featured in 17 league matches.

Leicester City have been keeping tabs on the winger as Brendan Rodgers is looking to strengthen his forward options.

Romano has confirmed that Leicester are still pushing to sign the winger as negotiations continue. He claims that the deal hinges on whether Leeds themselves can sign a new offensive player.

Leicester currently find themselves on the same amount of points as Leeds and so directly strengthening a rival could be a risky strategy.

Both sides are just one point above the relegation zone and will need to use the final few hours of the January window to their advantage.

Harrison has played a total of 1,193 minutes in the Premier League which makes him the eighth most-used player by Leeds this season.

His current deal at Elland Road runs until 2024 and they will soon have to make a decision on his future, with Leicester now ready to push hard.

Leeds themselves have been linked with an ambitious loan swoop for Nicolo Zaniolo, although their attempts were knocked back according to reports in Italy.

Zaniolo himself seems keen on staying in Italy as AC Milan looks like his most likely destination as things stand.

Losing Harrison would be a blow

While Harrison has blown hot and cold this season, losing him to a direct rival would surely hurt Leeds. The winger scored and assisted during Leeds FA Cup victory against Accrington.

When recently asked about Harrison, Jesse Marsch told reporters: “Listen, all I’ll say is, I really like Jack first as a person. He’s one of the most incredible people I’ve ever coached.

“We like him here. We want to keep him. He’s performing really well. I think getting him fit and healthy has been a big key. He’s got flexibility in the way he plays.

“You know, when things start circulating, it’s never so easy to just stay focused on what your job is, but I’ve tried to have open dialogue with him and be very honest with him and we have that kind of relationship.

“And then, you know, he does like it here. You know, that’s all I can say. It’s not like he’s itching to leave.”

Leeds have had a busy transfer window so far with the signings of Georginio Rutter,  Maximilian Wober and Weston McKennie.

McKennie is their most recent signing as they managed to secure a loan deal for the remainder of the season. His addition to their midfield will surely be a huge boost to their survival chances.

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