Leeds United agree deadline day loan deal for Nice left-back Melvin Bard

The Premier League side will pay a €1million (£860,000) loan fee for the 25-year-old, who is scheduled to fly to England from France on Tuesday to complete the move.

Bard is expected to join Leeds on a season-long loan, with United holding an option to make the transfer permanent for €5million (£4.3m).

The arrival of the Nice defender will provide much-needed strength in depth on the left-hand side of Leeds’ defence.

As things stand, Gabriel Gudmundsson and James Justin are the only natural options available to Farke in that area, although Justin is naturally right-footed.

Justin’s versatility has also made him an important option across several positions, with the former Leicester City man capable of providing cover at centre-back and right wing-back as well as on the left.

The need for additional defensive reinforcements was brought into sharper focus during Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Brentford, when Joe Rodon was forced off with a hamstring injury.

While the severity of Rodon’s injury remains to be seen, his absence raised further questions about whether Leeds had sufficient depth in defence heading into the closing stages of the transfer window.

Bard’s arrival would help address those concerns, giving Farke another recognised left-sided defender while allowing Justin to provide cover elsewhere when required.

Standing at 5ft 8in, Bard also has experience of playing as a wing-back and has spent his entire senior league career in France’s Ligue 1.

After coming through at Lyon, Bard moved to Nice and has gone on to establish himself as an experienced option in the French top flight.

He has made 168 Ligue 1 appearances since the 2019/20 season, while also featuring 19 times across the Europa League and Conference League.

Bard’s expected arrival will come as a relief to many Leeds supporters, particularly following Rodon’s injury against Brentford.

With defensive numbers already appearing light in certain areas, the addition of a specialist left-back would provide Farke with greater flexibility and help ease the pressure on Gudmundsson and Justin.

The move would allow Gudmundsson to remain Leeds’ primary option on the left while ensuring there is natural cover available, rather than forcing Justin to regularly operate outside his preferred side.

It would also free Justin up to continue acting as an emergency option elsewhere in the defensive unit, something which could prove particularly valuable if Rodon faces an extended spell on the sidelines.

Leeds are expected to remain active ahead of Tuesday night’s 11pm transfer deadline, with further business potentially still to be completed.

Negotiations with Burnley over a permanent move for Largie Ramazani advanced on Monday, with the Belgian expected to complete his transfer before the window closes.

Meanwhile, Mykhailo Mudryk is now expected to join Tottenham Hotspur, and as of Tuesday morning, no fresh links had emerged regarding an alternative attacking target for Leeds.

Sources at Elland Road continue to maintain that Wilfried Gnonto will not be allowed to leave the club unless Leeds are able to bring in another attacking recruit before the deadline.

With Bard now set to arrive to strengthen Farke’s defensive options, attention will turn to whether United can complete any further additions before the transfer window closes.