Mallik Wilks could have a big future at Leeds United but is Victor Orta hindering that prospect?
According to ESPN, Leeds United are one of several big clubs tracking Leicester City hitman Josh Eppiah ahead of the January transfer window. The 19-year-old striker is making a name for himself in the Foxes’ academy games lately and an array of Championship and Premier League clubs have taken note of his promise.
But do the Elland Road club really need him and, more importantly, what would such a transfer mean for the future of highly-rated striker Mallik Wilks?
The 18-year-old, who has already made his Leeds debut following the FA Cup defeat at Sutton United in Janaury, has impressed on loan at Accrington Stanley in League Two and has five goals under his belt in all competitions.
With nine goals, Kemar Roofe is the Whites’ joint top goalscorer this season. His first taste of League Two football yielded six goals in 1140 minutes at the age of 21 (figures provided by Soccerway). Wilks, at 18, has three goals in 430 minutes so far this season.
Such stats do not definitively prove that Wilks, like Roofe, will be a big player for Leeds at some point, but they do contextualise his potenial and signing another young striker only makes his route to the senior side that bit tougher.
Wilks, due to return in January unless his loan deal is extended, already has Eoghan Stokes, Adrian Balboa, Ousama Siddiki and Kun Temenuzhkov as competition at Thorp Arch. You could argue that if he’s good enough he will shine through no matter who the competition.
But there is always the risk of discouraging young talent with too many obstacles and adding Eppiah surely only increases that risk.
Maybe Eppiah is the next big thing. Maybe he’ll vanish into the under-23s like nine of Victor Orta’s summer signings who have barely been seen or heard of since joining. Or maybe Orta should back the talent that existed at Thorp Arch before he arrived.
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