Leeds United are set to miss out on Josh Doig from Hellas Verona after Fabrizio Romano revealed the defender was closing in on a move to Olympique Marseille.
TeamTalk revealed recently that Leeds had an interest in the Scottish defender, but their efforts to sign him now look to have failed. French club Marseille are expected to sign the player on a £4.3 million deal with a contract until 2028.
Leeds were not alone in their interest in the defender, with Rangers also admiring the Scotland U21 international. Both clubs will now miss out as Marseille have entered into advanced negotiations with Verona to try and come to an agreement.
Marseille are signing Doig to replace outgoing Brazilian full-back Renan Lodi, who is set to join Al Hilal for a fee of around £17.1 million, as per Romano.
Verona signed Doig from Hibernian in June of 2022. The defender made 35 appearances during his time with the Serie A club, scoring two goals and delivering four assists.
Leeds were looking to strengthen the full-back areas after losing Djed Spence and Luke Ayling already in this window. Doig was one of the targets on the list, but the club do have alternatives.
Phil Hay reported on Thursday that Ben Johnson from West Ham United, Connor Roberts from Burnely and Neco Williams from Nottingham Forest are all of interest to the Yorkshire side.
Marseille manager Gennaro Gattuso wanted a replacement for Lodi if the club were to let him go, and they are on the verge of delivering that through the signing of Doig from Verona. The Italian club have already identified their replacement, and are closing in on a deal for Ridvan Yilmaz from Rangers according to Sky Sports.
Leeds will now likely focus on their other targets as they continue to search for a defender. They will be hoping to keep fullback Sam Byram fit after his recent injury troubles, but are still keen to acquire depth in the position before the window shuts.
Writer’s View
Leeds will be disappointed to miss out on Doig, but there are plenty of other options on the market at fullback. Johnson can play on either flank and has struggled for game time at West Ham this season. A deal could be something that benefits both clubs.
Roberts is also a link that won’t go away. Leeds aren’t short of options in the market in the fullback areas despite missing out on the Scottish defender, and they will most likely sign one in the coming weeks.
