Reported Leeds United target Josko Gvardiol says no to Elland Road switch

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Reported Leeds United transfer target Josko Gvardiol has apparently rejected the chance to join the club this summer, according to reports in Croatia. 

Leeds have been linked with the talented Dinamo Zagreb youngster for a number of weeks now and at one point it appeared a deal was as good as done. 

As previously reported by Sportske Novosti, it was suggested Gvardiol had agreed to a move and that a fee had been agreed between both sides. Gvardiol was set to join Leeds after Dinamo’s Champions League qualifier against Ferencvaros. 

But that no longer appears to be the case. Tportal is reporting that Leeds had a €22 million (£20m) offer agreed with the Croatian side and an agreement that Dinamo would receive up to 20 percent of the player’s next transfer fee. 

However, the report claims that Gvardiol said no to the deal and will instead remain at the club for the foreseeable future.

It is not clear why Gvardiol rejected Leeds, but the youngster would have rightly been concerned over playing time with Leeds set to go with Robin Koch and Liam Cooper as defensive mainstays this season, with Pascal Struijk improving by the week.

Leeds will therefore need to look elsewhere if they are still on the hunt for another defender this summer. But it could be equally as likely that Marcelo Bielsa declares himself happy with the current options and Leeds use the rest of the transfer window to secure the playmaker they are seemingly in the hunt for.