Leeds United have made an ‘enquiry’ for Mason Holgate as Jesse Marsch’s side eye up a potential January raid of Premier League rivals Everton, according to The Sun.
With the likes of Andros Towsend, Abdoulaye Doucoure, Tom Davis and Yerry Mina all out of contract, Frank Lampard is not exactly overloaded with ‘sellable assets’ as the Everton boss looks to raise funds for new arrivals.
Holgate, however, is one of those who might just earn the Toffees a pretty penny. The former England U21 international is under contract until 2025 at Goodison Park, and Everton could expect to make a sizeable profit on the £2 million fee they paid to lure Holgate away from Barnsley over seven years ago.
Everton’s Mason Holgate is a January target for Leeds
Leeds, The Sun say, have ‘enquired’ about Holgate’s availability. As have Ligue 1 giants Olympique Lyonnais.
Only Southampton, Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest have conceded more goals than Marsch’s Leeds so far this season (26). Defensive reinforcements are likely to be very well received, then. As would Holgate’s ability to fill in both at centre-half and at right-back.
A move to Leeds may appeal to the Yorkshire-born Holgate, too. His tally of Premier League appearances this season stands at a measly four; a combination of injury and the form of Conor Coady and James Tarkowski.
Holgate does, however, have a reputation for thriving in the heat of a relegation battle. He was one of Everton’s most consistent performers during the final few weeks of the 2021/22 campaign, the Merseyside giants narrowly avoiding the drop after Lampard replaced Rafael Benitez on the blue side of Stanley Park.
‘I’m still a central defender’
Holgate, meanwhile, has made no secret of his desire to play in the centre of defence, rather than out wide. Should the one-time Barnsley youngster make a January return to Yorkshire, he would help ease the burden on an injury-prone trio of Robin Koch, Diego Llorente and Liam Cooper.
“I am still a central defender, 100 per cent,” Holgate admitted back in 2020. “I have always had the ability to play different positions, and that has helped me. But I am not an out-and-out right-back.
“I am willing to sacrifice and play other positions. I am not going to be able to do it (at right-back) with the same ability I have at centre-back. But that is part of sacrificing for the team, and I am more than happy to do it.”
Whether Leeds’ old nemesis Lampard is willing to let Holgate go, however, only time will tell. Everton, like Leeds, find themselves glancing nervously over their shoulders at the drop zone.
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