Leeds United look to be close to adding yet another defender to their ranks ahead of their return to the Premier League, looking towards the French Ligue 1 for their player.

The Whites will head to Stockholm next week to play Manchester United, and there is a feeling that they want to take a team that will resemble the squad that will play Everton in their first match of the season. There is still a lot of work yet to be done, but with players already joining to strengthen the back line, the project to create a Premier League quality defence is certainly underway.

However, with Junior Firpo leaving following the expiry of his contract at the end of June, there remains a massive hole to be plugged at left-back. Currently, the club’s only left-back by trade is Isaac Schmidt; however, he struggled to get many match minutes last season and is not expected to be a regular player this coming season.

Aside from Schmidt, the only probable option for the left-back role would be Pascal Struijk, who has previously played the position briefly for Leeds in their 2022/23 Premier League season, during which they were relegated with 31 points, conceding 78 goals. Sam Byram could be returning to Elland Road for the upcoming season, but presumably in a reserve role.

The full-back position is a serious concern for supporters of the Whites, but the club are now set to add a left-back to their side with Gabriel Gudmundsson expected to complete a medical in the coming days.

Leeds United close to signing Gabriel Gudmundsson

Leeds United are now close to a deal with Lille for left-back Gabriel Gudmundsson. Understand he could arrive in England tomorrow as talks continue. Leeds saying nothing on it right now.#lufc

— Graham Smyth (@GrahamSmyth) July 5, 2025

It had been reported for some time now that Leeds United have had a significant interest in Gudmundsson; however, over the weekend, it was confirmed that Leeds were much closer to a deal than many had expected.

The Swedish full-back has been a staple in the Lille side since joining from Groningen in 2021 for a fee of around €5.2m. Gudmundsson, now in the last year of his contract, has been linked to a move to Leeds for around €12m, around £10.3m, which would represent a solid profit for Lille while also being a bargain for the English side, who will need to invest a significant amount into other positions around the pitch.

While nothing official has been reported by the club just yet, there is a good chance that the Swedish defender could travel to his home country to play rivals Manchester United next week.

Is Gabriel Gudmundsson ready for the Premier League?

It was tough for Leeds United fans to see Junior Firpo leave following his stunning season in the Championship. But there were still doubts whether his abilities could be transferred to the Premier League, considering his vulnerability during Leeds’s last tenure in the top-flight.

Firpo’s defensive worries were less significant in the Championship, and his output of 14 goal contributions was higher than any other defender in the league. In the Premier League, however, his slower time to track back to defensive positions could once again prove to be a critical downfall against the likes of Mo Salah, Bukayo Saka, and Bryan Mbuemo.

While Gabriel Gudmundsson has never played in the Premier League before, he has played against world-class players in France for the last four years. He has mostly played a part in a 4-2-3-1 for Lille, the same formation that Leeds adopted for much of their promotion-winning season, which could allow the 26-year-old to adapt quicker to Daniel Farke’s tactics, which tend to rely on very physically fit fullbacks providing attacking output.

Despite this, there will be a very strong possibility that Farke switches to a far more defensive style of play, likely giving the central midfielders more defensive roles or switching to a five-at-the-back formation. This could allow Gudmundsson to advance up the pitch further, perhaps allowing the centre-backs to carry the ball up the pitch as Joe Rodon and Pascal Struijk enjoyed doing last season.

As with any defender in the Premier League, there will be significant questions about his defensive capabilities. While Gudmundsson ranks in the top 10% of fullbacks in the ‘big five’ leagues for progressive carries and successful take-ons per 90, he ranks in the bottom 18% for tackles in the defending third, perhaps suggesting that he will struggle with tracking back and stopping wingers.

Luckily for Gabriel Gudmundsson and Leeds fans, a large proportion of the transfer budget has already been used to add defensive cover, with Jaka Bijol and Sebastiaan Bornauw already signing for the club. While both are right-footed and typically play as right-sided centre-backs, the reinforcement in defence could mitigate the defensive issues posed by employing an attack-minded fullback.

While other clubs are interested in Gudmundsson, with Fenerbahçe being the closest contenders, it looks like Leeds United will confirm the Swede’s signature sooner rather than later.