Championship duo Sunderland and Leeds United want to sign Hartlepool’s Josh Hawkes -but will he go to Elland Road or the Stadium of Light?
Hartlepool United have already lost 17-year-old Connor Simpson to Preston North End since the turn of the year and it appears that another talented teenager is about to depart the North Eastern outfit.
Hawkes, an attacking midfielder who can also play as a number ten, is a really exciting talent and Pools caretaker boss Matthew Bates believes ‘you won’t see a better player in the area’.
The question is, however, will he stay in the North East or head to Yorkshire instead? On paper, Leeds would represent a better than Sunderland purely because they will be in the second tier of English football next season while The Black Cats look set to be relegated to the third division for the first time in half a century.
But perhaps Sunderland’s impending relegation is exactly why Hawkes should choose them instead. The cash-strapped Black Cats have no money to make permanent transfers right now so manager Chris Coleman appears to be putting the young players in his squad at the forefront of his plans.
Coleman has already spoken about building his side around George Honeyman, has tied down Ethan Robson to a new deal and wants to do the same with strike duo Josh Maja and Joel Asoro.
While Hawkes would likely link up with Leeds’ impressive academy team if he headed to Elland Road, a short trip to Sunderland could see him play first-team football next season.
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