Leeds United have reportedly reached an agreement with Manchester City over a £5 million deal for Darko Gyabi.
According to The Athletic, Manchester City are set to lose another gem in their academy, in the form of Darko Gyabi. They have reached an agreement with Leeds United worth £5 million over the sale of the young midfielder, who had been on the radar of Leeds chief Victor Orta for quite some time now.
Gyabi’s reported move to Leeds United comes in the midst of speculation pointing toward Kalvin Phillips joining Manchester City ahead of the new season. Leeds United and Manchester City are reportedly in agreement over the sale of the English international, who looks set to put an end to his career at Elland Road this summer.
One can be forgiven for drawing a parallel between the transfer sagas of Phillips and Gyabi, who is a central midfielder by trade and from a tactical standout, could be a like-for-like replacement for his Leeds counterpart.
The report suggests the negotiations for Gyabi are being dealt with separately. But the imminent sale of Phillips certainly plays a key role in compelling Leeds to go after the young Manchester City prospect, who is advertised as a box-to-box player.
Leeds United have roped in Marc Roca from Bayern Munich. Many expect the Spaniard to serve as the replacement for Phillips, but the addition of a few fresh faces could breathe life to the Leeds midfield that has depth in quality ever since their promotion to the Premier League.
Darko Gyabi fits the bill perfectly due to the energy and enthusiasm he brings to the table. The 18-year-old could be an excellent fit for Jesse Marsch’s aggressive style of play that requires the presence of multiple box-to-box midfielders in the middle of the park.
Although Gyabi is yet to appear in a single professional game in his career, Leeds being willing to splash £5 million for his services is indicative of how highly the teenager is rated at the Elland Road.
Manchester City, on the other hand, won’t be too pleased with the rate at which they are losing their young players. In addition to Gyabi, they are expected to lose Samuel Edozie to Bayer Leverkusen, while CJ Egan-Riley is set to complete a move to Burnley this summer.