Bilal El Khannouss is at the centre of a transfer battle with Leeds United and Crystal Palace among the teams interested in signing the Leicester City man.
Bilal El Khannouss looks set to move on from Championship side Leicester City and seal a return to the Premier League following the Foxes’ relegation last season.
And Leeds United have been linked with a move for El Khannouss for some time now, but it looks as though Crystal Palace are further ahead in the race to sign the Moroccan international.
On Wednesday, it was reported that the next few hours in the El Khannouss race would be decisive, with Crystal Palace’s Ebere Eze understood to have been close to a move to Spurs.
But Spurs’ North London rivals Arsenal have now swooped in and have reportedly agreed personal terms with Eze.
Photo by Plumb Images/Leicester City FC via Getty ImagesThe latest on Leeds United transfer target Bilal El Khannouss
The twist in the Eze saga looks set to have an impact on El Khannouss’ own transfer saga too. Journalist Sacha Tavolieri has dissected the news on X, and he writes that there is ‘still no agreement’ between Crystal Palace and Leicester City for El Khannouss, but that he remains ‘the top priority’ for the Eagles.
Palace have already had bids rejected for El Khannouss, and Tavolieri adds that the ‘fact that Eze’s deal is not done is the issue’. Though, now that Eze and Arsenal have an agreement, Palace are set to ‘accelerate’ on a deal to sign El Khannouss from Leicester City, all but putting the final nail in the coffin for Leeds United.
🇲🇦 Still no agreement yet between Crystal Palace and Leicester City. Despite reports, Bilal El Khannouss is the top priority.
Clubs needs to discuss again today after that #CPFC has rejected the counter proposal of #LCFC. Payment terms + fact that Eze’s deal’s not done is the… pic.twitter.com/z0oKmJy7Z4— Sacha Tavolieri (@sachatavolieri) August 20, 2025
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🔄🏴 Agreement Arsenal / Crystal Palace in place. Gunners wants to complete the details about Eberechi Eze’s deal in the next 24 hours.
✍️ A five years deal awaits the Englishman at Emirates.
⚪️🦅 #THFC now moving on other targets + #CPFC to accelerate on El Khannouss. #AFC pic.twitter.com/x3pwBkk7BD— Sacha Tavolieri (@sachatavolieri) August 20, 2025
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Leeds United have four-man shortlist for no.10 position, including Bilal El Khannouss
It’s clear that Daniel Farke is still considering signing a new number 10. And so far this summer, a handful of names have been mentioned, with several names having been mentioned throughout the summer and even throughout the year.
Names like Emi Buendia and Gustavo Hamer have been transfer targets for Leeds United for some time. And in a recent report, The Athletic revealed that Leeds United’s four main attacking midfielder targets right now, and they include El Khannouss, Facundo Buonanotte, Hamer, and Buendia.
Though Buendia may stay at Aston Villa this summer whilst Hamer will only join PSV if he leaves Sheffield United before the September 1st deadline, then of course El Khannouss seems to be closer to moving to Crystal Palace than Elland Road.
That might quickly leave Buonanotte as the number one attacking midfielder target for Farke, whose immediate focus might be on a tricky Arsenal game this weekend.