'Deal done' - QPR, Cardiff City and Derby County beaten to £500k Premier League coup

QPR, Cardiff City and Derby County have been beaten to the signing of Brighton midfielder Marc Leonard by League One outfit Birmingham City as the Midlands club continues a summer spending spree.

The Blues were relegated from the Championship last season but are strong favourites to storm to a third tier title this year and bounce straight back up. An impressive summer of transfer business has fuelled those expectations and the acquisition of Leonard is the club's latest move.

The 22-year-old spent last season on loan at Northampton Town in League One, playing 46 times in the division and being named the club's Player of the Season with five goals and six assists. Leonard joined Brighton from Hearts in 2018 but has made just two first team appearances for the Seagulls.

A long list of clubs had been linked with transfer interest in the player this summer with Brighton willing to cash in on the Scotsman after his strong showing on loan last term. A £300,000 fee had initially been touted but the race for his signature has seen that rise to in excess of £500,000 for Birmingham City.

QPR were one of the clubs linked. The R's are in the market for a central midfielder following the expiry of Isaac Hayden's loan deal.

The London outfit had been expected to bring the player back permanently with Newcastle United open to a free transfer but that has not come to fruition. Instead, Marti Cifuentes' side appear to have turned attention to Sporting de Gijon man Jonathan Varane in recent weeks.

Wrexham AFC and Oxford United had also been named as potential destinations for Leonard, alongside Cardiff City and Derby County.

News of a Birmingham City breakthrough was confirmed by Football Insider on Thursday. The midfielder is expected to sign a four-year deal with the club.

Leonard joins Christoph Klarer, Willum Thor Willumsson, Emil Hansson, Alex Cochrane, Ryan Allsop and Bailey Peacock-Farrell as newcomers at St Andrew's - Birmingham City are also believed to be working on a League One record £6 million move for Fulham striker Jay Stansfield.