O’Connor has put pen to paper on a two-year deal with Leeds.
Leeds United defender Paudie O’Connor has told the club’s official Twitter account that he could leave Elland Road on loan this summer, despite signing a two-year deal with Marcelo Bielsa’s side.
The 20-year-old defender captained Carlos Corberan’s Under-23 side last season before making the breakthrough into the senior side under Paul Heckingbottom, where he made four Championship appearances.
The Irish centre-back had just a year left to run on his previous contract but Leeds have decided to extend that deal by offering him a two-year contract, which will see him remain at Elland Road until the summer of 2020.
Speaking to Leeds’ Twitter account after agreeing a new deal with the Yorkshire giants, O’Connor spoke honestly about his future and stated that he could indeed leave the club on loan this summer.
“Yeah, I wouldn’t rule [a loan] out,” O’Connor said. “Obviously I’m kind of young so I need to be playing games, so yeah, getting 35-40 games under my belt will do me no harm at all.
“We’ll see how the next two or three weeks go and take it from there.”
Despite his breakthrough last term, he remains quite a way down the pecking order behind Liam Cooper, Pontus Jansson and perhaps the injured Conor Shaughnessy. Bielsa is expected to bring a new centre-back to Elland Road, too.
The Daily Mirror claim O’Connor could be set to join a League One club this summer, in order to further his development.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
