Leeds United are currently facing some tricky decisions when it comes to their pursuit of Red Bull Salzburg midfielder Brenden Aaronson, according to journalist David Anderson.

It's been a quiet January transfer window for the Whites so far, with no new signings arriving to bolster Marcelo Bielsa's first-team squad despite their injury issues. 

What is the latest news involving Aaronson?

With key man Kalvin Phillips sidelined until March with a serious hamstring injury, Leeds' engine room has looked rather threadbare in recent weeks. 

As a result, the west Yorkshire outfit have been linked with several interesting players throughout the winter window who are capable of filling the void, including 15-cap USA international Aaronson. 

According to The Athletic, Leeds have already had a £15 million offer rejected for the 21-year-old and are preparing to up that figure to £20m in the next round of negotiations. 

If accepted, the price tag would make Aaronson the second-most expensive American player ever behind Chelsea's Christian Pulisic following his move from Borussia Dortmund in 2019.

However, it's believed that Salzburg have no intention of letting their prized asset depart in January as they're desperate to be at full strength when they take on Bayern Munich in the Champions League last-16 next month. 

What has Anderson said about Aaronson?

Anderson believes Salzburg's asking price and hardball stance has left Leeds in a difficult situation and means some tough decisions need to be made.

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In an exclusive interview with GiveMeSport, he said: “I think £15 million to £17m maybe would have been a fair reflection.

"So again, it's a conversation that's happening within Leeds at the minute, ‘Do we go higher? Do we end up paying over the odds?’ or even worse still, do we go higher, the bids still rejected, we then say we'll come back in the summer, and then they say, ‘Okay, now we're back to summer, right, let's pick it up again.”

Who else could Leeds sign?

Long-term target Nahitan Nández of Cagliari is now reportedly attracting the interest of Italian giants Juventus, making any potential deal for him more complicated. 

Therefore, Bielsa may opt to go for more realistic targets such as Chelsea's Ross Barkley or Reading's John Swift. 

Barkley is on the fringes of Thomas Tuchel's squad and has been linked with making the switch to Elland Road, while Swift has entered the final six months of his contract with the Royals. 

It remains to be seen who Leeds make a move for, but Bielsa would surely welcome an additional option in the middle of the park before Monday's deadline. 

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