Transfer Update: Lewis Baker appears to be signed on a permanent deal at Leeds United

A quick update to a previous transfer rumour about Chelsea’s Lewis Baker.

Leeds United appear to be making a permanent deal for Baker, with a medical already finished.

Leeds were linked with a move for Baker only yesterday, with the original reports indicating that they would be interested in taking the former England U21 international in on loan. It appears, however, that any deal that will be made will be permanent. It has not been revealed what kind of fee that the two clubs have discussed for Baker.

Baker was on loan at Middlesbrough last season, but given the style of football that both Garry Monk and Tony Pulis play varies greatly from how Marcelo Bielsa approaches football, it’s not entirely fair to compare his performances. Boro also had most of their midfield intact from their time in the Premier League, and it appeared that Baker had trouble breaking into the starting rotation.

Unlike Boro, Leeds United’s midfield often struggled to retain possession of the football last season, and with the emphasis on pressing and ball retention by the new manager at Leeds, it’s not out of the realm of possibility for Leeds to be looking at alternatives to the current crop of players. Baker has also been used as an attacking midfielder in the past, and so it wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility to see him line up on the wing or as a wing-back in Bielsa’s 3-3-1-3, with the Argentine being famous for moving players around into different positions based on how he views the player’s abilities and how he wants his team to play.

Leeds have also been strongly linked with a move for Chelsea keeper Jamal Blackman, as the former Sheffield United loanee was spotted outside Elland Road and appears to be posting pictures of himself outside of Thorp Arch. A pair of players from Chelsea would be far different than the players that Leeds are used to being linked to this time of year.