Leeds United are eyeing a summer swoop for West Ham United’s in-demand youngster Sonny Perkins.
According to a report from The Athletic, Leeds United are once again in the market for exciting young talents across England. This time around, they have set their sights on Sonny Perkins, currently hailed as one of the most talented players to come out of the West Ham academy.
Leeds have been following the progress of Perkins quite closely in recent months. They want to lure the youngster to Elland Road in the summer, in an attempt to further strengthen their ranks in the youth teams.
Perkins currently plies his trade with West Ham’s reserve side. But he has made huge strides in recent years and was even handed the Premier League 2 player of the month award in April. His rapid ascension saw him make his full professional debut in the UEFA Europa League game against Dinamo Zagreb earlier in the year.
A centre-forward by trade, the 18-year-old racked up 12 goals in 21 Premier League 2 matches this past term. He has also made three competitive appearances for West Ham. Many expect him to become a part of the senior team next season, especially in light of the club’s lack of depth in the goalscoring unit that has forced them to target Ben Brereton this summer.
Leeds United are facing a similar situation in the attack. Their main forward Patrick Bamford had struggled with injuries throughout the 2021/22 campaign. Coach Jesse Marsch is hoping to address this issue by signing a new forward in the upcoming summer transfer window.
At the age of 18, Sonny Perkins is far from a solution, given his lack of experience at the highest level of football. But the youngster could prove to be the latest addition to a promising youth development setup at Leeds that has roped in the likes of Amari Miller, Leo Hjelde, Dani van den Heuvel and Sam Greenwood among many others.
Perkins is likely to replace Greenwood in Leeds’ U23 setup, with the latter set to earn a promotion to the senior side in the summer. However, luring the young forward could prove to be difficult as West Ham will be determined to keep hold of him, in light of the club’s lack of depth in the goalscoring unit.
