Leeds have missed out on the signing of Fleetwood Town teenager James Hill, with the England youth international set to join Championship side AFC Bournemouth.
According to the Daily Mail, the Cherries have moved at pace to replace Steve Cook, with Hill booked in for a medical earlier today for Bournemouth.
As per the report, Leeds were one of many clubs interested in signing the 19-year-old talent. Sheffield United, Southampton and Tottenham were all keeping tabs on Hill, as well as European giants FC Barcelona.
Yet despite interest from huge clubs, Hill has decided to sign for Bournemouth, with Fleetwood receiving a club-record transfer fee of £1m for the defender.
As per the report, the decision to sign for Bournemouth was based on the likelihood of playing regular first-team football, something the likes of Leeds and Barcelona wouldn’t be able to provide for Hill.
Had the teenager joined, it would have been the second signing Leeds make this window. The Whites yesterday confirmed the arrival of Spanish youngster Mateo Joseph Fernandez, who will likely feature for the U-23s for the remainder of the season.
Hill has made the logical decision to sign for Bournemouth over Leeds
After playing over 50 first-team appearances for Fleetwood, it makes sense why Hill thinks he is ready to play regular football at a higher level, and the teenager has made the right choice signing for Bournemouth over the likes of Leeds and Tottenham.
With Cook now gone, Hill could feature for Scott Parker’s side as early as this month, and the teenager could develop into a good Championship-level player with the Cherries in the coming years.
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