Leeds United are on the verge of completing the latest signing of a busy summer transfer window ahead of their return to the Premier League.
Having already brought in seven new signings ahead of the new season, Daniel Farke is now putting the final touches to his Leeds squad as their season opener against Everton approaches.
Leeds have already brought in Jaka Bijol, Sebastiaan Bornauw and Gabriel Gudmundsson to bolster their back line ahead of the new campaign, but with Isaac Schmidt set to leave, they remain on the hunt for a full-back.
Farke now appears to have got his man, as Leeds are in advanced talks with James Justin as he closes in on a move to Elland Road.
Justin could represent something of a bargain for the Whites, having once been told he was good enough to play for Barcelona.
Photo by James Holyoak/MB Media/Getty ImagesJames Justin was once compared to Dani Alves
The versatile Justin caught the eye as a young player with Leicester City, having joined the club in 2019 from Luton Town and established himself as a Premier League regular.
This led to significant praise from his former head coach, Nathan Jones, who compared him to former Barcelona legend Dani Alves in 2020.
Speaking to Talksport, Jones declared: “You look at top full-backs like Dani Alves and Jordi Alba who have played for Barcelona and won World Cups and European Championships… JJ [Justin] is in that mould.
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“He will go all the way. The boy will play for England. We believe that if he ends up at Barcelona, it’ll be no surprise. He’s that good.”
Despite James’ career being disrupted by injuries, he did earn a cap for England in 2022. Still only 27 years old, Leeds will hope that they can help him rediscover the form that earned him such high praise from his former head coach.
Photo by Julian Finney/Getty ImagesVersatile full-back will be an important signing for Leeds United
Whilst other signings may be more eye-catching than the arrival of a full-back, such as the expected deal for Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Justin could prove to be a crucial capture for Leeds in their fight to stay in the top flight.
The Leicester man will cost in the region of £6 million, which is good value for an international player with 99 Premier League appearances under his belt.
Capable of playing at both left and right back, Justin will provide valuable competition for Gudmundsson and Jayden Bogle, who is a doubt for the opening game of the season.
According to his 2024/25 stats from FotMob, Justin’s 180 duels won, 46 interceptions and 11 blocks rank in the top 10% of full-backs in the Premier League last season.
It takes a strong squad to keep your place in the top flight. Although fans naturally clamour over the star names linked with Leeds, such as AC Milan’s Noah Okafor, Justin could prove to be the unsung hero when the season is over.