Leeds Chase Norwegian Winger After Palace Snatch Strand Larsen; Ibrovic-Fletcher Deal Sealed

With the transfer window clock ticking, Leeds have pivoted their search for attacking reinforcements after Crystal Palace gazumped them in the race for Wolves' Strand Larsen, landing the Norwegian international for £48m.

The Elland Road outfit had their sights set on the 20-year-old winger, but Palace moved decisively to secure the deal despite complications elsewhere in their own squad—Jean-Philippe Mateta's proposed switch to AC Milan collapsed when medical tests proved problematic.

Rather than abandon their search for a left-sided option, Leeds have now identified Edvin Austbo, a 20-year-old compatriot of Larsen, as a last-minute target. The Viking winger impressed in 2025 with seven goals and eight assists for his Norwegian club, adding two more goals in Conference League qualifying matches over the summer.

However, the path to landing Austbo looks far from straightforward. Sunderland and Bayer Leverkusen are also circling, and Viking have already rebuffed an offer exceeding £11m—though which club tabled the bid remains unclear.

On the positive side for Leeds, their recruitment machinery has at least delivered one piece of business. The club have secured Manchester United midfielder Edward Ibrovic-Fletcher on a permanent transfer. The 20-year-old has yet to feature for United's first team but has earned considerable praise for his performances with the club's U18 side. Journalist Pete O'Rourke reported the move as an exclusive, describing Ibrovic-Fletcher as "highly-rated" in his announcement.

Off the pitch, manager Daniel Farke faces mounting pressure regarding his goalkeeping situation. Karl Darlow's error in the recent Arsenal defeat has reignited questions about Leeds' stopper problems, with both Illan Meslier and Lucas Perri failing to convince this season.

When pressed on the matter post-match, Farke remained characteristically cagey, acknowledging that the board understands his position while stopping short of public criticism. "Our board knows exactly my feelings," he said. "I mentioned several times I won't speak publicly too much about my opinions because it makes the market just more difficult."

The Leeds boss added: "Of course, we're always looking to improve the squad and to bring quality players in, especially on positions where we are perhaps a bit weaker anyhow. That's for sure, but I don't want to speak too much about this because I concentrate on the players that I have available and try to be there with the best possible decisions."

With a striker to partner Dominic Calvert-Lewin also on the agenda, Leeds have their work cut out in what remains of the window.