Leeds United could be readying a £10 million offer for Lewis O’Brien, but Huddersfield Town remain keen to keep the English midfielder.
According to The Sun, there is a certain transfer tussle brewing between Leeds United and Huddersfield Town over Lewis O’Brien. The English midfielder is of interest to the Whites, but the Terriers are willing to work hard and retain his services, including handing him a new contract this summer.
Huddersfield were hoping to secure promotion to the Premier League by overcoming Nottingham Forest in Sunday’s Championship Play-off Final. But while they failed, their priority remains keeping Lewis O’Brien at the club, as the English midfielder has put in some excellent performances this season.
Huddersfield decided to hand O’Brien a new deal in September after many clubs held prolonged enquiries last summer. None of the interested parties, including Leeds United, could make a definitive offer to tempt the English midfielder away.
With his performances improving this season, Leeds United have retained their interest in O’Brien. Jesse Marsch will be a relieved man after somehow managing to keep his team in the Premier League after a relegation threat. And the Leeds boss would like to improve the squad with some key additions.
The Whites are making the necessary moves in the market and hope to secure their initial targets early. Leeds might move to bring in a star later in the window, but Marsch remains keen on signing his essential players first. O’Brien could be considered as essential target, with the English midfielder likely to upgrade the team’s option in the centre.
O’Brien may not be considered a replacement for Kalvin Phillips, who has interest from top Premier League clubs. But the Huddersfield star could be seen as an upgrade to Leeds’s other midfielders, as he has been impressive in the Championship with his hard running and counter-attacking style.
Leeds have competition from Crystal Palace for the Huddersfield ace, as Patrick Vieira will look to replace Conor Gallagher. This chase for the Englishman could turn into a proper tussle if more teams come in with their liking for the player.
Huddersfield are keen to keep the midfielder, but failure to return to the Premier League might have hampered their chances. They want to erase the current £10 million release clause in O’Brien’s contract and tie him down to a new deal. If it happens, it would be the midfielder’s second contract in the space of a year, leaving Leeds with an uphill task in his pursuit.
