Leeds United closing in on club record signing

Newly-promoted Premier League side Leeds United are all set to smash their club record transfer to land £35 million Spain striker Rodrigo despite interest from clubs like Arsenal and Barcelona. 

The Valencia star is due to have a medical on Wednesday after Leeds director of football Victor Orta and owner Andrea Radrizzani flew to Spain to persuade the 29-year-old to join the Whites. 

The Spanish international has reportedly agreed to have a second stab at the Premier League after scoring just once for Bolton in the top flight during his miserable 2010-11 loan season. 

And the former Benfica ace's arrival at Leeds will eclipse the £18 million fee they paid West Ham for England defender Rio Ferdinand in 2000, although £9 million of the Rodrigo deal is in add-ons. 

The Premier League newcomers' boss Marcelo Bielsa still hopes to sign Freiburg's center-back Robin Koch, 24, who is reportedly also a £20 million target for Tottenham Hotspur. 

But having monitored legends such as Edinson Cavani and Zlatan Ibrahimovic after winning the Championship, Bielsa will be relieved as well as delighted to finally secure a proven frontman. 

Brazil-born Rodrigo has netted eight times in 22 international games for Spain. And for Valencia, he bagged 19 goals in 2017-2018 and 15 the following term, before seven last season, when he missed the closing weeks due to a knee injury. 

The 29-year-old is equally comfortable as a traditional number nine or as a winger. The La Liga giants are notorious for being reluctant sellers but have made their whole squad available for sale to cope with the financial effects of the coronavirus pandemic. 

Young Spanish winger Ferran Torres also left the club to join Manchester City, while midfielders Dani Parejo and Francis Coquelin, formerly of Arsenal, moved to league rivals, Villarreal.

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