Sport
£6 million Borussia Dortmund agreement confirmed by Fabrizio Romano as a substitute
Leeds United’s hope of keeping Ilia Gruev has been boosted with reports claiming Borussia Dortmund look set to sign an alternative option in Pascal Groß.
Gruev first emerged as a target for Dortmund in June, with reports from Germany suggesting the midfielder was on the radar of several Bundesliga clubs. Their transfer chief Sven Mislintat was also thought to have been present for May’s play-off final defeat to Southampton but initial reports quickly went quiet.
Dortmund were then linked with a move for Groß, with the belief he could arrive at a cut-price due to entering the final year of his contract at current club Brighton and Hove Albion. And it seems last season’s Champions League finalists have pushed ahead with a move for the 33-year-old, with Fabrizio Romano reporting on Tuesday morning that a deal had been agreed.
Brighton will receive an initial €7m (£5.9m) for the German international, although that could be boosted by performance-related add-ons. Groß will travel to Dortmund for medical tests and confirmation of his move is expected to come later this week.
Incoming head coach Nuri Sahin identified midfield reinforcements as a key transfer priority this summer, and it is unclear whether they will recruit further in that area. But news of the move suggests Gruev is now more likely to stay at Elland Road, although an exit never looked seriously on the cards.
Having cashed in on Archie Gray, who joined Tottenham Hotspur in a deal worth £40 earlier this summer, Leeds are no longer actively looking to sell and will not entertain offers below their internal valuations. But the club have been unable to rule out exits and the £8million sale of Glen Kamara was evidence they will give appropriate bids serious consideration.
Kamara’s move to Stade Rennais offered Leeds a chance to effectively double their money on a signing made less than 12 months ago, something they felt couldn’t be turned down. Whether they would have reacted in the same way to a similar offer for Gruev remains to be seen but it looks as though Dortmund have moved on.
Gruev has been in Germany for the past week, enjoying a strong start to pre-season as part of the Leeds squad. Daniel Farke’s men beat Hannover 96 and Schalke while away and the Bulgarian scored the first of six goals in his manager’s homeland, bursting into the Hannover box to collect a Brenden Aaronson pass before calmly rounding the goalkeeper.
The 24-year-old proved more than capable at Championship level last season with an excellent run of form during the second-half of the campaign, but Ethan Ampadu’s likely return to central midfield means competition is fierce for that role once again. But in finding the net against Hannover, the former Werder Bremen man showed he can operate in a more advanced role, something supporters may see going into the new season.
