Leeds United have been linked with a move for Birmingham City’s teenage midfielder George Hall in recent weeks but have been put off by the Championship outfit’s big seven-figure asking price.
According to Leeds Live, Leeds United will not pursue a move for 18-year-old Birmingham midfielder George Hall in the upcoming January window at his current exorbitant valuation and are prepared to wait until the summer to sign the prodigy on a free transfer rather than paying over the odds to secure his signature in January.
The Whites have been tracking Hall for a long time now, even making an attempt to sign him last summer before being deterred by Birmingham’s asking price for the 18-year-old’s services.
They had returned with a renewed interest in the talented midfielder over a potential winter swoop and were reported to be leading the race and closing in on a deal for the youngster, but their pursuit for the teenage sensation will likely run its course without a move materialising this time around as well, and for identical reasons.
As per The Mirror, as per Yorkshire Evening Post, Peacocks boss Jesse Marsch had identified Hall as one of his top targets in the January market.
They have made serious enquiries, but it seems they have been priced out of a deal by Birmingham, who are reportedly demanding a big seven figure sum (rumoured to be around £15 million) to part ways with the England Under-19 international midway through the season.
The Whites have earned a reputation for signing promising young talents from across the country and abroad before morphing them into the first-team picture slowly.
What’s more, Marsch isn’t afraid to give youth the first-team minutes to develop, make mistakes, and become established Premier League players in the future. Wilfried Gnonto, Crysencio Summerville, and Joe Gelhardt have all received significant Premier League minutes this season and have made vital contributions in their ongoing battle against relegation.
Hall would have been another exciting addition in a similar vein. At just 18, the starlet is one of the prodigious teenagers at Birmingham City who hopes to follow in the footsteps of Jude Bellingham, who has certainly gone on to be a monumental success for Borussia Dortmund and England since emerging through the youth ranks at St Andrew’s.
It’s easy to see why Hall is in high demand. He has already cemented his place as a key player in the Blues team, making 18 appearances in the Championship this season, and is seen as a potential star in the making.
However, Leeds’ decision to stick to their guns and refuse to pay the premium is correct in its own right. £15 million is a lot of money for a relatively unproven player in his breakthrough Championship season, especially when the other areas of the squad require urgent attention, with Marsch also eager to land a senior left-back and proven striker next month to boost their bid for survival.
They would be better off trying their luck with Hall in the next summer window, when the player will have only one year left on his Blues deal and his parent club may well be obliged to sell the midfielder if he does not sign a new deal.
