Transfer Talk (Friday) - Ins to be followed by outs at Leeds | Terriers miss out on defender | Boro target more firepower | Blades up ante for midfielder

The duo have played little part since arriving at Elland Road and, with both of them into the final year of their contracts and having spent last year on loan, the writing seems on the wall.

They have slipped further down the pecking order this summer since the departure of Garry Monk, with Leeds in the middle of one of their busiest summers for recruitment in recent years.

The signings of Spanish midfield playmaker Samuel Saiz and Macedonian international forward Ezgjan Alioski on Thursday took the club’s number of signings since the end of the 2016-17 season to eight.

Leeds boss Thomas Christiansen takes his team on their pre-season tour of Austria on Friday, but more signings are likely before the Championship campaign begins early next month.

The centre of defence is one area the Whites still need to strengthen with it being increasingly unlikely that Swansea’s Kyle Bartley will return to reprise his partnership with Pontus Jansson.

Huddersfield Town look set to miss out on former Hull City centre half Andrea Ranocchia after he closes on a deal to take him to Premier League rivals West Brom.

The 29-year-old impressed while on loan from Inter Milan at the KCOM Stadium last season, despite the Tigers’ relegation, and looks likely to complete a permanent move to the Baggies to work under Tony Pulis for a fee of around £5m.

Two of Huddersfield’s promotion winners, meanwhile, have signed new extended deals with the club.

Left-back Chris Löwe, who joined FC Kaiserslautern last summer, and forward Elias Kachunga, who made his initial loan move to the from FC Ingolstadt 04 a permanent one in March 2017, are both now staying with the Terriers until June 2020.

Middlesbrough still hope to bring in Nottingham Forest forward Britt Assombalonga, adding to the £9m capture on Thursday of Danish forward Martin Braithwaite.

The 26-year-old arrived in a £9m deal from TOulouse and has already flown out to train with his new team-mates on their pre-season tour of Portugal.

Assombalonga is due to return to the Uk with the rest of the Forest squad today from a pre-season training camp in the USA and Boro are hoping to beat off Premier League Burnley and Watford and have the 24-year-old striker on their books by early next week.

Sheffield United are set to put in an increased bid for Southend captain Ryan Leonard.

The midfielder is thought to be one of Chris Wilder’s long-standing summer transfer targets, although fellow promoted club Millwall have also expressed a clear interest.