Leeds United Sign Nico Elvedi from Borussia Monchengladbach

Leeds United have landed experienced Swiss defender Nico Elvedi from Borussia Monchengladbach in a deal worth up to £8.5m, handing Daniel Farke a leader for the heart of his back line and a familiar face in the dressing room.

The 29-year-old has signed a three-year contract at Elland Road, ending an 11-year spell in Germany where he became a mainstay at Monchengladbach, racking up 364 appearances and growing into one of the Bundesliga club’s most reliable performers.

For Elvedi, this move is as much about the man in the dugout as the club itself. He worked under Farke at Monchengladbach in the 2022-23 season and made no secret of the role the Leeds manager played in his decision.

“He is also a big point for this change,” Elvedi said of Farke. “It was just one year but I loved to have him as a manager. I learned a lot from him and I will learn a lot now.”

Monchengladbach accepted an offer worth an initial £6.8m, with a further £1.7m in add-ons tied into the agreement. For Leeds, it is a calculated investment in experience and international pedigree.

Elvedi has 73 caps for Switzerland and played every minute of their run to the quarter-finals of the most recent World Cup, underlining his durability and status at the top level. That level of know-how now drops into a Leeds defence still being reshaped under Farke.

He becomes the club’s fourth signing of the summer window, following the arrivals of James Trafford, Harry Wilson and fellow defender Tarik Muharemovic, as Leeds methodically rebuild the spine of their side.

His signing has already triggered movement. Elvedi’s arrival opened the door for Sebastiaan Bornauw to leave Elland Road and join Hamburg on a season-long loan, a clear sign that Farke sees the Swiss centre-back as central to his plans.

There was more business earlier on Wednesday too, with striker Joel Piroe leaving Leeds to join West Ham on a season-long loan, another significant shift in a squad undergoing a sharp, purposeful reshaping.

Elvedi steps into that changing landscape with a manager he trusts, a league that will test him, and a club that expects his experience to steady the next phase of their push.