Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has suggested to The Northern Echo that Fikayo Tomori could leave on loan, amid reported interest from Leeds United and Newcastle United.
TalkSPORT reported in December 2020, as covered by HITC Sport, that Leeds are interested in signing Tomori, while The Athletic reported earlier this month of interest in the 23-year-old from Newcastle, as covered by HITC Sport.
The Guardian has reported interest from Leeds and Newcastle in the 23-year-old central defender.
Lampard said about Tomori, as quoted by The Northern Echo: “Fikayo Tomori absolutely has a long-term future at this club, and we’ll see if and when he goes on loan. The moment I got close to Fikayo was when I took him to Derby with me and he was player of the year there and one of the best players in the Championship that year in my opinion.
“And then he came back and played 20-plus games for us at a very young age last year and got in the England squad. There’s an absolute long-term plan for Fikayo in my head about his career here.
“And if it’s to go and play games it’s to absolutely enhance his personal development. Hopefully, help whatever team he goes to, because that will come hand in hand, and then come back to us a better player.”
Boost for Leeds United
Robin Koch is a long-term injury concern, while Diego Llorente has had fitness issues.
Liam Cooper has also had injury problems this season, and it would make sense for Leeds to bring in a centre-back on a short-term deal.
Tomori knows the Premier League well, and the 23-year-old centre-back would give Leeds head coach Marcelo Bielsa another option.
It seems that Lampard is open to sending the England centre-back out on loan for the rest of the season, and there is a chance that Leeds could persuade Chelsea and bring him to Elland Road in the January transfer window.
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