Serie A club want Leeds United star to replace Newcastle target as Middlesbrough close on £1.5m wonderkid deal

Leeds United could be set to lose another member of their squad after they confirmed the ‘heartbreaking’ departure of academy graduate Archie Gray.

The Whites’ failure to secure an immediate return to the Premier League has put Daniel Farke at risk of losing several key players during the summer transfer window and the likes of Crysencio Summerville and Wilfried Gnonto have been linked with move away from Elland Road in recent weeks. However, it was England Under-21 international Gray who was first to depart after he joined Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur in a reported £35m deal earlier this week.

Farke is facing a number of major calls over the futures of several players who spent last season away from the club after securing loan moves in the aftermath of their relegation from the Premier League. United States international Brenden Aaronson, Danish defender Rasmus Kristensen and Austrian star Max Wober are all set to return to Elland Road in the next two weeks - but they face uncertain futures as Farke prepares his squad for another push for promotion into the top flight during the coming season.

But it is Whites defender Pascal Struijk who could reportedly be the next player to leave as he is said to be attracting attention from Torino. Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio has reported the Serie A club have an interest in the Dutch defender as they face a fight to retain the services of centre-back Alessandro Buongiorno. The Italy international has been linked with a move to the likes of Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur and Napoli in recent weeks and looks set to move on before the summer transfer window comes to a close at the end of August. Di Marzio has claimed Struijk is under consideration to replace Buongiorno along with Trabzonspor defender Rayyan Baniya and Brighton and Hove Albion star Igor.

Boro close on Swindon prospect

Middlesbrough are reportedly set to beat Aston Villa and Southampton to the signing of highly-rated Swindon Town defender Harley Hunt.

The Daily Mail have reported the youngster is set to undergo a medical on Teesside after agreeing personal terms with Boro. The likes of Villa and Southampton were believed to be keen on the 16-year-old defender, who made his senior debut for Swindon in a 2-1 defeat at Walsall in April before earning starts against Grimsby Town and Morecambe before the end of last season.

Middlesbrough are said to be ‘convinced’ Hunt can step up to Championship level in the near future and have utilised first-team coach and former England centre-back Jonathan Woodgate to persuade the youngster to snub interest from elsewhere and make the move to the North East. The report states Boro will pay an initial fee of £500,000 and could hand over a further £1million in add-ons. Hunt is not the only Swindon academy product to receive interest from elsewhere after claims Manchester United and Wolverhampton Wanderers have been monitoring the progress of striker Botan Ameen after he was called up to the Iraq Under-20s squad for Asian Cup qualifiers recently.