Leeds United are expected to accelerate their plans to bolster Marcelo Bielsa's squad this week...

What's the word?

That's according to Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth, who delivered a fresh update to fans live on Monday evening's 'The Transfer Show' (17:32).

"Leeds United expected to step up their attempts to sign a new midfielder this week," he revealed.

Indeed, the arrival of a new option for the Argentine's engine room appears to be the top priority for the Yorkshiremen, as first alluded to by The Athletic's Phil Hay earlier in the season.

This month is the seventh successive window that they have failed to bolster the heart of the pitch. They came closest to doing that in the summer of 2020 when a move for then-Bayern Munich ace Mickael Cuisance fell through.

Exciting news

The need for a new midfielder has evidently always been there but that has increased tenfold in recent weeks.

Bielsa has only three senior options in the role - Mateusz Klich, Adam Forshaw and Kalvin Phillips, but the latter has been ruled out until March, at the very earliest, with injury. United also received an injury scare to Forshaw during the weekend's win over West Ham, so you can see how precarious the situation is.

[snack-amp-story url = "https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-leeds-transfer-rumours-and-news-2" title="Read the latest Leeds news, transfer updates and much, much more!"]

The likes of Stuart Dallas, who plays anywhere and everywhere, Jamie Shackleton and defender Pascal Struijk are alternative options but they too are often needed at full-back due to the injury crisis at Thorp Arch.

Those around Elland Road have been desperate to see additions to the midfield for several years but to no avail, though that seems as if it's going to change before January 31st, so supporters must be delighted by Sheth's latest update.

There have been reports suggesting that the Premier League outfit have agreed on a deal to sign Standard Liege powerhouse Nicolas Raskin (The Sunday Mirror print edition, 16th January, page 73), but we are yet to see any sort of announcement on that front.

Meanwhile, diminutive Cagliari star Nahitan Nandez has long been mooted with a move to Yorkshire.

However, we should find out more soon as the Sky Sports reporter claims the club are to accelerate such plans this week, so many fans around Leeds should be excited by this news.

AND in other news, Forget Harrison: £18m-rated Leeds "beast" who had 71 touches stole the show for Bielsa...