Wayne Veysey

Wed 17 May 2017 14:23, UK

By Harry Sykes

Leeds United are preparing a sensational £4million bid to re-sign midfielder Jonny Howson, according to a report.

Team Talk claim the Yorkshire giants are ready to make a big push to prise the central midfielder, 28, from Norwich during the summer transfer window.

It is said that Leeds are in pole position to bring their academy product Howson back to Elland Road despite rival interest from Premier League pair Brighton and Burnley.

Team Talk report that one of the first deals Leeds will look to pursue following the soon-to-be-completed takeover of Andrea Radrizzani is that of Howson.

The Leeds-born, Morley-reared midfielder came through the ranks at Elland Road and had a huge rapport with the fans before finances dictated his exit in 2012.

He has a contract at Norwich that runs until 2019 but the club are looking to prune their finances after missing out on instant promotion back to the Premier League and could be willing to listen to offers.

Ex-England Under-21 international Howson, who made 219 appearances for Leeds, has been a mainstay of the Norwich side this season, scoring six goals and providing eight assists from 38 Championship matches.

A £4million bid would be a huge one by Leeds’ standards of the last decade-and-a-half, as they have not spent that much money on a player since the signings of Robbie Fowler and Seth Johnson in the autumn of 2001.