Leeds United reportedly interested in Leicester City starlet

Leeds United, along with a number of Premier League clubs, and Championship rivals Wolverhampton, are all rumoured to be interested in Leicester City starlet Josh Eppiah.

According to the Birmingham Mail, both Leeds and Wolverhampton of the Championship, along with Premier League clubs such as Everton, West Ham United, Stoke City, and AFC Bournemouth are all reportedly interested in the 19 year-old Belgian forward.

Eppiah currently plays for the U23s at Leicester City, and has made four appearances in the Checkatrade Trophy this season, coming on as a sub against Scunthorpe United and Fleetwood Town, and starting against Carlisle United and Morecambe FC. He assisted on the lone goal scored in the Carlisle United match, playing on the right wing.

While rumours like these don’t always pan out, it fits the pattern that Leeds have established during the summer transfer window and so far this autumn. Leeds have been looking for young talent, and have been restocking the Academy with talent youth players. Over the summer the club added players from Spanish clubs Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Rayo Vallecano, and they also picked up goalkeeper Kamil Miazek from Poland, a former Feyenoord player, after a successful trial.

Leeds also signed 16 year-old York City striker Ryan Edmondson, and the club announced at the time of his signing that it would signal an emphasis on getting more local talent into the pipeline at the club. It’s paid off in the past, as former Leeds youth product Lewis Cook got an England call-up, and 19 year-old Ronaldo Vieira, the best named footballer in England, has been a bright spot for the club over the past two seasons. Along with Vieira, his sometime midfield partner, Kalvin Phillips, is another product of the Leeds Academy, and he’s been having a breakout season, appearing in almost all of the league matches for Leeds this season.

So will this transfer happen? Probably not. This has all the hallmarks of agent talk, with the number of clubs “linked” to the player just reflecting scouts from clubs that may have taken in a match while he was playing. However, if the player thinks that the path to the first team is too crowded at Leicester and is looking for a change, he could do worse than signing for Leeds, and given the emphasis on youth at the club these days, Leeds could have made an offer. Just don’t hold your breath.