Leeds United have reportedly stepped up their pursuit of Huddersfield Town midfielder Lewis O’Brien as Marcelo Bielsa looks to bolster his midfield options.
According to a report from Football Insider, Leeds United have opened negotiations with EFL Championship outfit Lewis O’Brien for the signing of 22-year-old midfielder Lewis O’Brien.
The Englishman is a product of the Terriers’ youth academy and made his first-team debut in 2019 after having spent an impressive loan spell with Bradford City. Since then, O’Brien has established himself as a regular in the side for Huddersfield and been one of the most promising young midfielders in the division.
To date, the 22-year-old has featured 81 times for his boyhood club, scoring five goals and setting up seven more. Able to play as an attacking midfielder or a No. 8, O’Brien has been on the radars of Leeds United for a while now, with the Whites having watched him closely over the last season. And, they are now ready to act on their interest in the Englishman this summer.
Leeds United are in the market for a new central midfielder in the current transfer window. In Kalvin Phillips, Mateusz Klich and Stuart Dallas, Marcelo Bielsa has his first-choice midfield unit sorted. But there is a distinct lack of quality cover, which will need to be addressed if the Whites are to break into the top six after an impressive season last time out.
So, even though Adam Forshaw has finally come back after nearly two years of injury hell and Jamie Shackleton is also an option, adding another midfielder would hold Leeds in good stead for the coming season. Conor Gallagher of Chelsea had been a top target, but the 21-year-old decided to snub the Whites in favour of a loan move to Crystal Palace.
While a move for Yangel Herrera of Manchester City is on the horizon, he would be more of an alternative for Phillips. Bringing in someone like O’Brien would add more depth in the attacking midfield area for the Yorkshire-based outfit. To that end, they have now started initial discussions with Huddersfield Town over a summer move.
O’Brien’s current contract with the Terriers runs out in less than a year, meaning he could potentially be available for a bargain price. So, it remains to be seen if Leeds do end up signing the 22-year-old in the coming days.
