A defender for Leeds United is expected to leave Elland Road before the transfer deadline, as a deal with a Championship rival is expected to be finalized before that day.
Prior to the transfer deadline on Thursday, Leeds United will clear space in their lineup by releasing a youth defender to another Championship club.
The Norway U21 international, Leo Hjelde, is reportedly en route to Sunderland for what would be a permanent transfer. Since joining the Whites in 2021 from Celtic, Hjelde has struggled to make an impact and spent the latter half of the previous campaign on loan at Rotherham United.
The Norwegian joins Sunderland, as reported by the Telegraph, to assist Black Cats manager Michael Beale in addressing a problem area, as injuries to Niall Huggins and Dennis Cirkin have limited his options.
Sunderland, who have had difficulty gaining momentum since former Rangers manager Beale replaced Tony Mowbray, resumed their play-off drive with a 3-1 victory over Stoke City on Saturday. This was one of the limited number of Championship matches that were played as a result of FA Cup fourth round fixtures.
Seventh-placed Black Cats are tied with sixth-placed Coventry City, who have played one fewer game, in points.
