{"id":623005,"date":"2025-12-09T23:12:18","date_gmt":"2025-12-09T23:12:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/623005\/"},"modified":"2025-12-09T23:12:18","modified_gmt":"2025-12-09T23:12:18","slug":"the-49ers-could-have-signed-new-leeds-united-target-in-the-summer-but-for-rangers-instead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/623005\/","title":{"rendered":"The 49ers could have signed new Leeds United target in the summer, but for Rangers instead"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>With the January transfer window fast approaching, new names are being linked with a move to Leeds United every day and the latest is a midfielder shining north of the border.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Robbie Evans claims one more signing will see <a href=\"http:\/\/leedsunited.news\/club\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Leeds<\/a> exceed their PSR position. A points deduction may be at risk next season, but <strong>LeedsUnited.News<\/strong> understands <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leedsunited.news\/news\/psr-myth-rubbished-as-49ers-able-to-give-leeds-united-sizeable-january-transfer-budget\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Leeds are willing to spend money in January<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p> Which position do Leeds United need to strengthen most in January? <\/p>\n<p> \ud83d\udc47 Join the debate; share your insight. Use the comment button on the bottom left to have your say <\/p>\n<p>Probably the right move, given relegation would cost a whole lot more than a fine and a few points in the 2026-27 season, if survival is obtained. Leeds were willing to go over the line for Harry Wilson, after all.<\/p>\n<p>Well, ahead of the January window, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leedsunited.news\/transfers\/fabrizio-romano-says-leeds-united-have-made-move-for-21m-serie-a-star-in-the-last-few-days\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Fabrizio Romano said Leeds had a move for Martin Baturina<\/a> turned down. Now, the Whites are battling Nottingham Forest for a player shining in the Scottish Premiership.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"819\" loading=\"lazy\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/GettyImages-2248599885-1024x819.jpg\" alt=\"Josh Mulligan in action for Hibernian.\" class=\"wp-image-121876\" \/>Photo by WM Sport Media\/Getty ImagesThe 49ers could have signed Josh Mulligan in the summer<\/p>\n<p>Over at Easter Road, 23-year-old Josh Mulligan is on fire. Having joined Hibs in the summer from Dundee, he has already clocked up 24 appearances in league and cup, having a hand in six goals from midfield.<\/p>\n<p>His form saw him called up to Steve Clarke\u2019s Scotland side in the last break, and there is a good chance he is in Scotland\u2019s World Cup squad next summer. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leedsunited.news\/transfers\/leeds-united-trailing-nottingham-forest-in-new-transfer-race-for-outstanding-midfielder\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Leeds and Nottingham Forest want to sign Mulligan<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>But Mulligan could have easily joined Rangers. Barry Ferguson was interim manager during the latter stages of last season, and there was talk that after <a href=\"http:\/\/leedsunited.news\/club\/owners\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">the 49ers<\/a> joined, Ferguson could remain permanently.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" loading=\"lazy\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/GettyImages-2242693909-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Paraag Marathe during the win v West Ham.\" class=\"wp-image-121978\" \/>Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt \u2013 AMA\/Getty Images <\/p>\n<p>MORE LEEDS UNITED STORIES<\/p>\n<p>However, Paraag Marathe and the Rangers board hired Russell Martin instead. Ferguson said that had he remained at Ibrox and the 49ers kept him on, he would have signed Mulligan for the Scottish giants.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe came up against Dundee and I think he (Mulligan) was a central midfielder. We beat them 4-3, but they were miles better in the first half and he stood out for me like a sore thumb. Very athletic, strong. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cA good player, he was linked with Rangers wasn\u2019t he? He is certainly one guy I would have taken. Listen, he has gone to\u00a0Hibs\u00a0and I think David Gray has got a top performer there,\u201d Ferguson told <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thescottishsun.co.uk\/sport\/15661523\/joey-barton-sentencing-posts-female-pundits\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Go Radio<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p> Leeds United\u2019s PSR position made clear\u2026 <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cThis summer, we spent everything we could. Unequivocally, we are maxing PSR out this season. If we had gone on to other targets [on deadline day], the consequences would have been seen in the current roster. More key players from last season would have had to go.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Robbie Evans on Leeds United\u2019s PSR position<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> \ud83d\udc47 Join the debate; share your insight. Use the comment button on the bottom left to have your say <\/p>\n<p>   Do Leeds need to bring in another central midfielder?<\/p>\n<p>The focus for Leeds in January will be bolstering their attacking options and quality. Dan James has been injury-prone ever since the latter stages of last season, and Brenden Aaronson\u2019s doubts remain.<\/p>\n<p>Leeds need a player like Wilson, able to create as a playmaker or as a winger. A better version of America star Aaronson. Croatia international Baturina is the perfect kind of player that Leeds currently need.<\/p>\n<p>But there is no doubting that Mulligan has the potential to play in the Premier League. With a likeness to John McGinn, Leeds and Forest are hoping to land themselves a cheap signing with huge potential.<\/p>\n<p>Other players to be linked with Leeds in the last few weeks include another deal for Facundo Buonanotte, Troy Parrott, Gonzalo Garcia and plenty of other attacking options. Who Leeds will sign, remains unclear. <\/p>\n<p>  Join Our Newsletter <\/p>\n<p>Receive a digest of our best Leeds content each week direct to your mailbox<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"With the January transfer window fast approaching, new names are being linked with a move to Leeds United&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":623006,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8814],"tags":[18024,748,393,4884,162041,1860,26575,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-623005","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-leeds","8":"tag-49ers","9":"tag-britain","10":"tag-england","11":"tag-great-britain","12":"tag-josh-mulligan","13":"tag-leeds","14":"tag-paraag-marathe","15":"tag-uk","16":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115692146366870133","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/623005","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=623005"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/623005\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/623006"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=623005"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=623005"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=623005"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}