Report: Chelsea now Targeting move for English left-back Leeds had been ‘pushing’ to sign in

Leeds United had been keen on strengthening their left-back options in January, and one of their former targets is now wanted by Chelsea.

Leeds entered the winter transfer window prioritizing a new left-sided defender, but Junior Firpo’s return from injury solidified his position. Consequently, Leeds shifted their focus and bolstered the right side of their defense by bringing in Connor Roberts on loan from Burnley to replace the departing Djed Spence and Luke Ayling.

Before abandoning the pursuit of a new left-back, Leeds were linked with several candidates, including Josh Doig and Borna Barisic. Doig eventually moved to Sassuolo, where he was relegated from Serie A in May, while Barisic stayed at Rangers to see out his contract and is now a free agent.

However, another of Leeds’ winter left-back targets, Archie Brown from Gent, has now caught the attention of Chelsea, specifically the BlueCo consortium. Led by Chelsea owner Todd Boehly, BlueCo was established as part of the investment vehicle for the club’s 2022 takeover. The consortium also manages Ligue 1 side Strasbourg, facilitating easy transfer dealings between the two clubs, as evidenced by the loans of youngsters Ângelo Gabriel and Andrey Santos last season.

Journalist Sacha Tavolieri reports that BlueCo is now interested in signing Gent left-back Archie Brown, intending to develop him at Strasbourg with a view to potentially integrating him into Chelsea’s future plans. Brown is now considered an ‘important target’ for the Blues but faces competition from another Ligue 1 club, Lyon. A deal could be completed for around £6.8 million.

Leeds had been strongly pursuing a deal for Brown, who has attracted interest from several English clubs, including Burnley and Everton. At one point, Leeds appeared to be the front-runners for his signature, but no transfer materialized, and he remained at Gent.

Despite playing in Belgium, Brown is English and spent part of his career at Derby County before moving to Swiss side Lausanne and then Gent to further his development.

It remains to be seen if Leeds will reignite their interest in Brown this summer, but given the financial capabilities of BlueCo, securing his signature might be challenging.