Leeds have signed RB Leipzig and USA international Tyler Adams to replace Kalvin Phillips for a fee of around £20million.
The 23-year-old midfielder is believed to be the successor to Phillips, who joined Manchester City for around £45million on Monday.
Leeds have agreed a fee in the region of £20m for Adams with Leipzig, where he has spent the last four seasons. New York-born Adams helped the club reach the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2020 before losing to Paris Saint-Germain.
Adam is reunited with Leeds manager Jesse Marsch, who gave him his senior debut in a friendly against Chelsea aged just 16 as the head coach of the New York Red Bulls.
Adams will become Leeds’ fifth summer signing after paying £24.7m for Red Bull Salzburg midfielder Brenden Aaronson, £10m each for Bayern Munich midfielder Marc Roca and Salzburg right-back Rasmus Kristensen and £5m for Manchester City’s Darko Gyabi has paid.
Leeds also finalize a deal for Feyenoord winger Luis Sinisterra.
Jesse Marsch saw Adams’ talent when he was 15
Tyler Adams is hugged by Jesse Marsch after scoring for the New York Red Bulls against Chelsea in 2015
Leeds’ interest in signing Tyler Adams from RB Leipzig was more than predictable as the US international is much more than just a former player for Jesse Marsch. The bond between them was forged many years ago.
That became clear in 2020 in conversation with Marsch during his time as coach of Red Bull Salzburg. The topic of conversation inevitably shifted towards Erling Haaland. It was Marsch who soon switched it back towards a youth talent from his homeland.
“I’ve worked with a lot of talented players,” he said Sky Sports.
“But the ones you can see right away that have something has everything to do with their mentality, with what they see as success. It’s the work they do every day, their love of improvement, their love of competitiveness, their fearlessness.
“Honestly, Tyler Adams was the first player I ever coached that I saw that happen. I met him when he was 15 years old. I watched him play a game. I had a 10 minute chat with him after the game and I said to myself, ‘This kid is going to be massive.’
“At 15 it was so easy to see that he had the tools, mainly mentally and intelligently, to do whatever it took to do it. Obviously they have to be steeped in talent, but in the end it’s more about their mindset than their actual talent.”
Read Sky Sports’ Adam Bate’s post on the Marsch-Adams bond
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Games in Leeds: Marsch’s side start at home against Wolves
The opening round of 22/23 Premier League games
leeds will start his 2022/23 Premier League season at Elland Road wolves on Saturday, August 6th
Jesse Marsch’s side, who narrowly avoided relegation on the final day of last season, then travel to St Mary’s on August 13 to take on Southampton before hosting Chelsea on August 20.
Leeds travel to Old Trafford on September 17 to take on Manchester United. Their last game before the season break for the Winter World Cup will be played against Antonio Conte’s Tottenham on November 12. They will then return to action at home against Man City on Boxing Day.
They are in line for a trip to Newcastle on New Year’s Eve, while Manchester United are the visitors at Elland Road on February 11.
Leeds finish the season against Spurs on May 28 at Elland Road.