Thursday transfer gossip: Leeds United set to sign Bristol star | Sheffield Wednesday striker wanted | Boro in two-way battle | Eyes on Huddersfield Town's Nahki Wells

Leeds United are set to sign Bristol City right-back or central defender Luke Ayling, 24, on a three-year deal.

He has undergone a medical with Leeds and looks set to become their eighth summer signing following a hamstring injury suffered by first-choice right-back Gaetano Berardi in the defeat at QPR.

Sol Bamba and Kyle Bartley are also the two fully-fit central defenders at head coach Gary Monk’s disposal.

Leeds’ attempt to bring Liam Bridcutt back to Yorkshire from Sunderland is stalling over the settlement of the final year of his £26,000-a-week contract at the Stadium of Light.

Sheffield Wednesday striker Atdhe Nuhiu could be on his way from Hillsborough.

Dutch club Ajax and Bundesliga sides Hamburg and Werder Bremen are targeting the Austrian international.

Nuhiu, 27, signed for Wednesday in 2013 – and the 6ft 6in target man has hit just 23 goals in 142 games for the Owls.

Ajax have lost star striker Arkadiusz Milik to Napoli, and new manager Peter Bosz is in the market for a new striker before this month’s transfer deadline, with Nuhiu believed to be one striker on a 15-man list for the Amsterdam club.

Managerless Hull City remain tight-lipped on a report they could be edging closer to a £100m takeover by Asian investors.

Dai Yongge and Hawken Xiu Li are believed to have tabled a bid for the Tigers and representatives of their consortium were said to have been shown around the Cottingham training base on Monday.

A spokesperson for the Premier League club would not comment on the latest speculation regarding any imminent takeover, though it appears there is interest in taking the club off the hands of owners Assem and Ehab Allam.

Only three weeks ago the club issued a statement insisting discussions regarding their sale had been put on the back-burner until after the summer transfer window closes while they tried to replenish a squad lacking in numbers.

Two days after that statement, chief Steve Bruce’s departure was confirmed and caretaker manager Mike Phelan is expected to take charge this weekend with no new additions having arrived since.

Mohamed Diame has been sold to Newcastle in the period between too and a string of injuries means Phelan will be unable to fill his bench with senior players when the new Premier League season kicks off on Saturday.

The Allam family have been open to offers for the club since 2014, when the initial attempt to rename the club ‘Hull Tigers’ was denied, and protests against their handling of affairs will take place against the champions at the KCOM Stadium this weekend.

Fellow Premier League newcomers Middlesbrough are locked in a £5m transfer battle with Aston Villa to land former Hull City central defender James Chester.

The Wales international signed for West Brom just last season in an £8m deal from Hull but has made just 12 Premier League appearances under Tony Pulis.

Rotherham’s leaky defence has, hopefully, been shored up by the arrival of right-back Darnell Fisher, 22, from Celtic for an undisclosed fee.

The Millers squandered a 2-0 lead in their championship opener against Wolves to draw 2-2 before conceding five against League Two Morecambe in the League Cup.

Newcastle United are hoping to complete the loan signing of Everton left-back Brendan Galloway before the league match against Huddersfield Town at St James’ Park on Saturday.

Goal-shy Bradford City “just can’t pay silly money for strikers, we’re not at that stage at the moment,” says manager Stuart McCall.

The Bantams will be keeping a close eye on the reported moves by Derby County and Norwich City for Huddersfield striker Nahki Wells.

City have a sell-on clause for the Bermuda international, and will claim 15 per cent on any profit Town make from a player whom they signed in January, 2014 and who has cost them around £1.6m so far.

Wells has been out with a knee problem and was an unused substitute in EFL Cup loss to Shrewsbury.

Bradford have shown interest in Bristol City’s Kieran Agard, but he is expected to join MK Dons, and they are also eyeing Sheffield Wednesday’s Caolan Lavery, the former Northern Ireland under-21, who had a trial with the Bantams in 2011.

Sheffield United are aiming to strenghten before Saturday but manager Chris Wilder has dismissed reports linking him with a move for Wigan’s Sam Morsy.