Leeds United are reportedly closing in on a deal to bring long-term target George Hall to Elland Road in the upcoming January transfer window.
According to a report from TEAMtalk, the Whites are on the cusp of securing the signature of England Under-19 midfield star George Hall from Championship side Birmingham City in the upcoming January transfer window, with long-serving veterans Mateusz Klich and Adam Forshaw possibly leaving Elland Road in the near future.
The 18-year-old has been with the Birmingham City academy since the age of seven and has progressed rapidly through the youth ranks. He is regarded as one of the most promising players to come out of the Blues’ academy, which has already produced talents such as Jude Bellingham, Jobe Bellingham, Demarai Gray, Nathan Redmond, and Amari Miller.
Hall signed his first professional contract at St. Andrews in November 2021 and went on to make his debut in January this year. A central midfielder by trade, the highly-rated wonderkid has made 18 Championship appearances for the club this season, of which only five were starts.
Still, he has scored one goal and registered one assist, and he has impressed the onlookers with his well-balanced raw attributes. The prodigy has long been linked with a move to the English top flight and has recently been scouted by a host of Premier League clubs.
Leeds United, for one, holds a long-term interest in the youngster and are understood to be at the front of the queue to land his signature in January. Jesse Marsch’s team came close to raiding the Championship club for Hall in the summer but fell short as they saw an offer worth £3 million, including add-ons, knocked back by Birmingham in August.
However, it feels like Leeds will get their man this time around, as TEAMtalk reports that they are “ready to capitalize” on St Andrew’s recent takeover collapse.
An improved overall package should be enough to seal the deal for Hall in the January window. While there are still 18 months remaining on the midfielder’s contract at St Andrew’s, it is said the Championship club’s financial woes are likely to force Birmingham into a sale.
Hall would be an exciting addition up north. Likened to Jude Bellingham due to his swashbuckling style of play, he is athletic, box-to-box, and loves to have the ball at his feet in order to drive up the pitch, whether that’s by dribbling or passing.
Technically and tactically brilliant, a Premier League move with Leeds would no doubt be an attractive option for the youngster given the clear step up from playing second-tier football to the spotlight of the Premier League.
It’s also indicative of the club’s plans to continue strengthening their core in the youth department. Indeed, the club has done an excellent job of attracting players from all across the UK to the Thorp Arch’s academy and nurturing them for the big leap to Elland Road’s first team, with the likes of Lewis Bate, Crysencio Summerville, Sam Greenwood, and Joe Gelhardt forming a talented crop of young players on the fringes of the first team.
