NEWS FLASH: Leeds United is presently in negotiations with Chelsea over a move for the 24-year-old Midfielder.

Chelsea are “in talks at the moment” to sign Leeds United star Tyler Adams alongside their push for Brighton’s Moies Caicedo, according to Kaveh Solhekol.

The Sky Sports journalist reported live on Sky Sports News on Monday (7 August) that the Blues were “trying to sign” the USMNT captain, who has a £20million release clause at Elland Road following relegation, and talks were now under way.

Adams, 24, has attracted interest from a wide range of Premier League clubs but Mauricio Pochettino’s side have surged ahead in recent days, with Phil Hay of The Athletic reporting earlier on Monday it was “increasingly likely” they sign the midfielder.

Solhekol said of Chelsea: “They’re also trying to sign the Leeds United midfielder Tyler Adams. Now he is said to have a £20m release clause in his contract.

“So Chelsea in talks at the moment about getting him.”

With Adams expected to be out injured until the first international break of the season, as he recovers from the surgery that ended his season last term, there was hope that it might have ended the chances that he leaves before 1 September.

It will come as a significant blow to Daniel Farke’s plans for the Championship to lose the American, with numbers very thin in central midfield already.

The £7million signing of Ethan Ampadu, from Chelsea, along with the emergence of 17-year-old Archie Gray, is all that is standing between Leeds United playing people out of position to cover the gap.

Marc Roca, Weston McKennie and Adam Forshaw are all gone from last season, and Adams was a key man that the new 49ers regime wanted to keep at Elland Road.

But the release clause in his contract makes them powerless to stop him from going if Chelsea put the money on the table.

One small silver lining is that it will at least bring in a decent amount of cash at last this summer, after a long list of players left for low-cost loans thanks to their own clauses.

It isn’t a done deal yet but it is certainly starting to look like becoming one sooner rather than later.