Could Tom Pearce follow Mallik Wilks and Aapo Halme by leaving Leeds United for Championship and Yorkshire rivals Barnsley this summer?
Leeds United left-back Tom Pearce is indeed a target for Barnsley with the Tykes’ assistant coach Dale Tonge admitting to the Yorkshire Post that the Championship newcomers are eyeing another Elland Road raid.
Leeds and Barnsley appear to have put their local rivalries to one side this summer. Two players have already swapped West Yorkshire for their near neighbours in the south in recent weeks with Mallik Wilks and Aapo Halme both joining Daniel Stendel’s side.
Now, Ormskirk-born Pearce could be about to follow in their footsteps.
The Yorkshire Evening Post claimed on Wednesday that Leeds are open to offers with the 21-year-old potentially on his way to join the club he scored his first ever career goal against during the short-lived reign of Paul Heckingbottom.
And Tonge has now confirmed that those reports were absolutely on the money, although no official approach has been made at this time.
“We’ve had conversations about a number of lads at Leeds and Pearce is one of those players,” Tonge said. “We want to get more players with experience and minutes under their belts at this level.
“At this moment in time we have not made an approach for Pearce.”
Former Everton youngster Pearce has always been highly-rated at Elland Road but, after a loan spell at Scunthorpe United which ended in relegation, he has returned to Leeds to find himself well down the pecking order.
Barry Douglas is set to be Leeds’ first-choice left-back next season but Gianni Alioski, Stuart Dallas and Leif Davis all proved in recent months that they are more than happy to fill in if required.
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