Leeds United's pursuit of attacking midfielder Ibai Gomez could be dealt a big blow with news emerging of a bid from Portuguese giants Sporting Lisbon.

The Whites have been tracking the playmaker for some time now, but according to news outlet EITB, Lisbon have already made their move for Gomez with a firm bid for the player.

The Alaves star has previously worked with Marcelo Bielsa during their time together with Bilbao, but a bid from Lisbon, who remain a giant in the game, could well scupper the chances of Leeds making their move for the Spaniard.

The 29-year-old has been in excellent form for the last couple of seasons now, and given Bielsa's relationship with Gomez, Leeds would have been hopeful of landing a player they clearly see as someone who can make a big difference for them.

Samu Saiz has recently moved away from the club, leaving a space in the squad firmly open for Bielsa to replace, with Gomez top of his list of January targets.

Leeds are flying high in the Championship at the moment and a stunning last minute win over Aston Villa last time out put them firmly in the driving seat heading into today's Boxing Day encounter with Blackburn Rovers.

The Verdict

A potential blow this for Leeds but it was always going to be a long shot to sign the Spaniard.

Gomez is a class act, so if he did move to Leeds, it would almost guarantee that they go up.

It still might happen, but Bielsa will have other targets, and he'll move on if Gomez decides to make the shift to Lisbon.

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