The West Ham United youngster would be a superb summer addition for Leeds United.
Elland Road
The Whites enjoyed a successful Championship campaign on the whole this season, despite their ultimate failure to secure promotion to the Premier League.
Things are not looking quite as rosey at Elland Road, however, following Garry Monk’s resignation as manager a couple of weeks ago.
Along with that, there are numerous players who performed superbly for Leeds last term whose loan deals are close to coming to an end, and there is genuine concern that Kyle Bartley and Pontus Jansson might not return to West Yorkshire for the start of next season.
West Ham United’s Reece Burke during training
With this in mind, the Whites should be looking at a contingency plan that involves the signing of a top-class centre-back, and an ideal option for them could be Hammers defender Reece Burke.
The 20-year-old is highly versatile, and is comfortable playing in either the centre-back or right-back positions. He is highly-rated at West Ham, however, so a loan deal might be the only real option for Leeds.
Burke spent last season on loan in the Championship with Wigan Athletic, but struggled with injuries, and as a result, he never really got the opportunity to prove his true worth.
West Hams’ Reece Burke in action
The Hammers man stands at just under 6ft 3in tall, and is dominant in the air, but he is incredibly quick along the ground as well. His understanding of the game, and the manner in which he reads it is extremely impressive for someone so young, and given the opportunity of regular first-team football at Elland Road next term, he could flourish into a top-class defender.
The deal would make sense for both Leeds and West Ham, along with Burke himself. The more physical nature of the Championship would help the 20-year-old improve, and he would surely return to the London Stadium as a more complete player, if he does in fact make the move to West Yorkshire.
West Ham’s Reece Burke in action
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