Leeds United officially sign Sam Dalby from Leyton Orient

Leeds United made the transfer of 18 year-old Sam Dalby official today.

The 6’3” striker from Leyton Orient joins Leeds as a prospect for the future, much like the transfer of Ryan Edmonson from Yorkshire neighbours York City.

Victor Orta told the club’s official website about the signing of Dalby:

We are pleased to welcome Sam to Leeds United, we believe that he can be an important player for the future.

He has already tasted League Two and National League football, he is tall and strong, and we are confident that in a couple of years time he can be competing for a place in our first team.

In the immediate future Sam will join in with our Under 23’s, who will help to develop him into the player we believe he can be.

Dalby has made two appearances for the first team at Leyton Orient this season. He did, however, make 16 appearances for the East London club last season, as the club was going through a tough spell on and off the pitch.

The fans at Orient were fed up with the ownership of the club, and invaded the pitch to show their displeasure with the ownership. Orient were relegated from the Football League only a few seasons after being a few kicks away from promotion, as the club lost out on promotion from the playoffs to the Championship on penalties after leading the division for much of the season.

Leeds fans can identify with both the heartbreak of losing playoff finals and having dodgy owners. Hopefully, the sale of Dalby can inject some well-needed cash into the club, as their fall into the National League has seen them in the bottom half of the table, rather than get a chance for promotion back to the Football League.

Leeds get another young prospect for the U23s, so hopefully one or two of these prospects comes good in the next couple years, saving Leeds from overspending on strikers from English clubs.