Leeds United will of course be making first-team additions this summer, but the move for Chelsea teenager Lewis Bate is hugely exciting.
The Whites have already brought in Junior Firpo from Barcelona to bolster Marcelo Bielsa’s first team.
Victor Orta loves to recruit for the Under-23’s too, and with Sean McGurk on board from Wigan Athletic, another move is now on the cards.
The Daily Mail report that Leeds are optimistic that they will sign Chelsea teenager Lewis Bate, ahead of competition from the likes of Liverpool, Southampton and West Ham United.
The 18-year-old still has one year left on his Chelsea deal, but has rejected the offer of a new contract at Stamford Bridge as he seeks a pathway to first-team action.
Leeds look to be favourites to sign Bate, and this would really turn the table on Chelsea – something that has been 17 years in the making.
Back in 2004, Chelsea controversially raided Leeds to sign two young midfielders, Tom Taiwo and Michael Woods.
Leeds accused Chelsea of tapping the pair up, and received a huge £5million compensation fee for the duo, who made a combined two first-team appearances for the Blues.
With Leeds in the Football League ever since, they haven’t really had the chance to raid Chelsea for one of their top young talents.
Sure, Jamal Blackman and Izzy Brown joined on loan, but that’s not at all comparable to snatching a highly-rated talent in Bate.
This just goes to show the strides Leeds are taking under Orta and Marcelo Bielsa. They’re now in a position to snatch Chelsea’s young prospects and offer them first-team football, potentially giving them a greater platform for Premier League stardom.
That Taiwo and Woods saga left Leeds a little scarred with their young players, but 17 years on, they’re now able to get their own back with a move for Bate – and that has to be satisfying for Leeds fans.
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