Kerk is reckoned to be the fastest player in the Eredivisie and has been labelled the Usain Bolt of Dutch football.
And after high-level talks between both clubs at the weekend it appears Leeds have beaten off competition from Verona and Cagliari with neither Serie A side willing to pay above £9m for the 24-year-old who is under contract to 2023.
Elland Road boss Marcelo Bielsa has been impressed with scouting reports on Kerk and watched the star himself before the Covid-19 pandemic struck earlier this year.
Kerk, who can play as a right winger as well as more central, scored eleven goals and weighed in with 12 assists for Utrecht last season.