Leeds submit offer to sign Elland Road’s new Ethan Ampadu

Leeds United fans will be extremely proud of their team this season in the Premier League and beyond.

Indeed, Daniel Farke’s Whites have reached an FA Cup semi-final, which they only lost by one goal at the hands of Chelsea, and they have comfortably secured survival in top-flight action, to go against the notion that all the promoted teams sink instead of swim on their arrival in the promised land.

The summer is on the horizon now at Elland Road, with Farke ready to improve his battling squad with some fresh faces to ensure there is no second-season slump under his guidance in the demanding Premier League.

As it happens, Leeds do look to be closing in on their first summer signing already.

Leeds closing in on first summer deal

Leeds have hit the jackpot in recent times by exploring the free agent market. Just last summer they secured the signing of former Everton man and England international Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Alongside Lukas Nmecha, the striker combo have been a hugely influential part of Farke’s side as they secured their top-flight status, with Calvert-Lewin particularly impressive, powering home 13 goals in all competitions.

Now, the Leeds hierarchy are set to use a similar trick, with their first move of the summer potentially set to be another free agent.

Indeed, according to reports in France, Leeds are ‘seriously closing’ in on signing Sporting midfielder Hidemasa Morita. It’s further revealed that a contract offer has been submitted his way.

The Sporting number five is further said to be showing ‘great enthusiasm’ about swapping Portugal for England. It looks as if Leeds’ confirmed survival in the Premier League will whir this deal into motion.

How Morita can be Farke’s new Ampadu

It’s not a very flashy signing whatsoever, but wheeling and dealing in this regard has paid off with Calvert-Lewin, and Farke might well be about to win his next Ethan Ampadu by picking up Morita for free.

While the likes of Calvert-Lewin and Noah Okafor will get you out of your seat at Elland Road with their goalscoring prowess, Ampadu’s strengths go under the radar in comparison.

The 25-year-old is a beloved part of Farke’s team, regardless, with 5.3 duels won per Premier League contest this season, allowing the relegation-threatened side to tick centrally. Even Joe Rodon, who is known to be a fierce defensive battler in his own right, comes up short in this regard, winning 4.1 duels per game.

The resilient holding midfielder has even popped up with an odd goal and assist this season, too, with the Leeds captain noted as being an “indispensable” part of the Elland Road machine by scout Jacek Kulig, when the Whites were gunning for promotion.

Morita operates much the same way for Sporting as a well-rounded midfielder. Still, he doesn’t always receive his flowers in a team that has boasted the frightening firepower of Viktor Gyokeres in recent years.

Picking up one goal and four assists this season in Liga Portugal, while also displaying an Ampadu-style bite in his game, he would surely go down as a firm fan favourite in West Yorkshire if he were to join and be as breathless as he has been in the Portuguese capital.

When Ampadu first joined, not much was made of his purchase, but now, a Leeds starting lineup would feel strange without the Welsh warrior being present.

In time, Morita will hope he’s seen as another dependable midfielder Farke and Co can rely on, with the Osaka-born ace even capable of lining up in defence as a right-back, when he isn’t powering home headers.

Ampadu has this in his locker too, as he has regularly filled in as a centre-back in West Yorkshire.

This has all the makings of being an astute signing if pulled off, as Leeds go about adding in the right additions, instead of going overboard, this summer.