The Elland Road club have made their move for the talented 20-year-old with an offer which is understood to be in the region of £250,000.

Johnson, who is not expected to feature in tomorrow's clash with Leeds at Elland Road regardless of the outcome of contract negotiations today, has attracted the attention of several other clubs and is already believed to have turned down a switch to Colchester United.

Johnson signed a new two-year deal at Sixfields last season and is under contract until 2009, but the surge of interest in his signature had made his departure from Northampton highly likely during the January transfer window.

The ex-Cambridge player has scored five times this season and played in all but one of the Cobblers' matches, and United were hoping to push the transfer closer to competition during talks this afternoon.

Leeds are also in competition with Southend United and another unnamed League One club for the signature of Luton Town's Dean Morgan.

Leeds are understood to have submitted a bid for Morgan, which will be considered by Luton's administrators after the club were declared insolvent in November.

Sources at Kenilworth Road have confirmed that the winger will be sold this month, along with up to four other players as the club fight to keep themselves afloat.

Morgan has been on loan at Southend United since the middle of November, but Dennis Wise has long been an admirer of the youngster, who he attempted to sign last season. Elland Road sources, however, indicated that a deal was unlikely to be reached today.

Wise has publicly confirmed his interest in both Morgan and Barnet winger Jason Puncheon, though Barnet's asking price is likely to make a deal for Puncheon more difficult to strike.

Walsall are also fighting hard to prevent Leeds from signing 21-year-old left-back Daniel Fox, who is out of contract at the Bescot Stadium in the summer and is understood to have rejected the club's latest offer of a new deal.

United have already failed with a bid in excess of £250,000 for Fox.
Wise also confirmed that he is still hoping to capture Bolton centre-back Lubomir Michalik, a long-term target of the Elland Road club.