Leeds United were apparently unsuccessful in their recent effort to sign Besiktas winger Milot Rashica, who formerly played for Norwich City under manager Daniel Farke.
After being relegated from the Premier League at the end of last season, the Whites appear to be on track for an immediate return to the top division after being undefeated.
Leeds presently hold the second automatic promotion spot in the Championship table, two points ahead of fellow promotion contenders Southampton, having won all eight league games in 2024.
Connor Roberts, a Welsh international full-back, was the lone first-team signing at Elland Road during the January transfer window, joining on loan from Burnley until the end of the season.
However, it has emerged that Leeds have also been looking for a winger, with a Turkish newspaper claiming that Besiktas rejected a €7 million offer for Rashica, the Kosovo international who has four goals and one assist in 18 Super Lig games this season.
According to the Tavkim daily, Leeds’ “official offer” was rejected by Besiktas, and neither the player nor the Turkish club were interested in a transaction.
Leeds failed to sign Milot Rashica.
Rashica, 27, was quoted as stating,
“I am very happy at Besiktas.” His current deal expires in the summer of 2027. “I don’t plan to leave.”
A transfer to Elland Road would have reunited Rashica with Leeds manager Farke, who had previously recruited him for Norwich City after the Canaries’ Premier League promotion in 2021.
Rashica played 40 games for Norwich, scoring two goals and assisting three times. He signed a four–year contract with Besiktas in 2021 after spending the previous season on loan at Galatasaray. The winger had previously attracted interest from top clubs in England and Germany.
Speaking after signing Rashica in 2021, then-Norwich manager Farke felt the club was fortunate to have him as the winger had previously sparked attention from top clubs in England and Germany. He said:
“With Milot, we have a very interesting player, and we’re thrilled to have brought him to Norwich City.“Over the last few seasons, many elite teams have expressed interest in his signing, and he has frequently been linked with a big-money move.
“Milot is a player with great potential.He moves quickly and smartly, has good technical skills, and excels at finishing and assisting goals.“He has delivered many finished items, and despite his youth, he has played numerous games at the highest level.”
“He’s a player who has the ability to perform exceptionally on offense. We also got the impression from his age, skill, potential, and demeanor that he would fit in well with our group. We hope he can help us strengthen our offensive game.
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