Leeds agree Melvin Bard loan deal with option to buy

Leeds United have reached an agreement with Nice to sign Melvin Bard on loan with an option to buy, with the French left-back undergoing the final stages of a deadline-day move to Elland Road.

L’Équipe reports that Nice have accepted a season-long loan worth €1 million, with Leeds holding an option to make the transfer permanent for a further €5 million.

BBC Sport has separately reported the same financial structure and said Bard is travelling to Leeds to undergo a medical before the transfer is completed.

Neither club has formally announced the move, meaning the 25-year-old remains subject to his medical and the final contractual and registration procedures.

Bard has been with Nice since joining from Lyon, his formative club, in the summer of 2021. He has since made 193 appearances in all competitions and is under contract with the Ligue 1 side until June 2028.

His departure developed rapidly in the closing stages of the window. L’Équipe reports that both Leeds and West Ham submitted offers for Bard, with Nice choosing to accept the proposal from Elland Road.

Nice’s willingness to sanction the move has also come as the French club work on strengthening the same position, with Eintracht Frankfurt left-back Niels Nkounkou moving towards a switch to the Allianz Riviera.

For Leeds, Bard would provide a specialist option on the left side of defence and arrive with extensive Ligue 1 experience while the club retain control over whether to turn the loan into a permanent deal next summer.

The transfer is advanced but not yet official: Nice have accepted Leeds’ loan proposal, the financial structure has been reported at €1 million plus a €5 million purchase option and Bard is progressing through the medical process, with formal confirmation still awaited.