Leeds closing in on Nice defender Melvin Bard

Leeds United are nearing the completion of a deal to sign Nice defender Melvin Bard. The agreement is structured as an initial loan move with an option for the Yorkshire side to make the transfer permanent at the end of the season.

Under the terms of the deal, Leeds will pay an initial fee of one million euros. They retain the right to sign the 25-year-old left-back permanently for a further five million euros next summer. Bard is currently traveling to Elland Road to undergo a medical on deadline day.

Manager Daniel Farke has made bolstering his full-back options a priority, as Gabriel Gudmundsson is currently the only available left-sided specialist in the squad.

This move follows a busy period for Leeds, who are also dealing with uncertainty in their attacking ranks, as Willy Gnonto closes in on a move to Fiorentina. The club's search for offensive reinforcements faced a setback recently after their pursuit of Chelsea's Mykhailo Mudryk was thwarted by Tottenham.

Should the deal be completed, Bard will become Leeds' sixth senior signing of the summer, joining a list that already includes James Trafford, Michael Zetterer, Nico Elvedi, Tarik Muharemovic, and Harry Wilson.