Leeds United's deadline day takes another twist with reports Bamba Dieng has failed Nice medical after Whites snub

Shortly after midday it was reported Leeds had agreed an £8.7m fee with Marseille for the 22-year-old Senegal international. Chairman Andrea Radrizzani was confident enough to tweet for supporters to "welcome" the Senegal international to Elland Road.

Nice appeared to have missed out on the player earlier in the week, only to come up with an improved offer as Dieng was apparently preparing to fly to England to complete the deal.

"We have been screwed up, it happens even to the best ones," Radrizzani tweeted to a supporter on Thursday evening but it appears they may actually have dodged a bullet.

It still left them scrambling to make a signing into the final hour of the transfer window, though.

Earlier in the day the Whites missed out on PSV Eindhoven's Cody Gakpo, who despite being a winger had a goalscoring record that made him a viable alternative. Director of football Victor Orta was in the Netherland on Wednesday.

The Whites are expected to come back for the player in January but in the meantime it is thought his current club will open talks on a second new contract of the year - quite probably with a release clause inserted.

Leeds also had a bid thought to be around £17m rejected for Wolverhampton Wanderers' Hwang Hee-chan and their best chance of signing a striker before the 11pm deadline may rest on them persuading the Midlands club to take a bigger offer.

Their top target earlier in the summer was Charles de Ketelaere but the Club Brugge striker chose AC Milan over Leeds.

The Whites' squad was made to look light up front last season by the injury problems suffered by Patrick Bamford, which have carried over into the new campaign. This summer's transfer policy has tried to add more depth in all positions.

Previous coach Marcelo Bielsa always favoured a small squad, and relied largely on winger Dan James, Tyler Roberts and youngster Joe Gelhardt to cover for Bamford. Roberts has since joined Queens Park Rangers and James has been lined up for a loan move to Fulham in the final day of trading for 2022. It remains to be seen if that is allowed to go ahead.