Graham Smyth of the Yorkshire Evening Post has claimed that Leeds United are not looking to sign Chelsea defender Fikayo Tomori in the January transfer window.

Leeds have been linked with a move for Tomori this month, with BBC Sport even claiming that Elland Road could be the next destination for the 23-year-old defender.

However, Smyth has now claimed that he has been told ‘no’ regarding Leeds’ interest in the highly-rated defender.

I'm told no. I've seen a few tweets suggesting it was reported by the BBC but as far as I'm aware it was the BBC's gossip round-up, so came from elsewhere…

— Graham Smyth (@GrahamSmyth) January 6, 2021

Tomori was linked with a loan move to Everton during the summer transfer window, but Frank Lampard blocked the deal.

However, having managed just 45 minutes of Premier League football this term, a move away from Stamford Bridge could be beneficial for Tomori.

The likes of Thiago Silva, Kurt Zouma, Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen are ahead of him in the pecking order.

Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa could look to add a defender in January after losing Robin Koch to a long-term injury last month. The German is set for around three months on the sidelines after undergoing knee surgery, but it seems Tomori is not an option for them.

According to reports from The Sun, Tomori could still play an important role for Chelsea this season, following an injury to Christensen.

The 24-year-old has undergone scans on the injury suffered during the game against Aston Villa, and he could be out for a while. It leaves Lampard short of defensive options, and Tomori could be recalled in the first-team squad.