Luca Murphy should snub Premier League interest to join Leeds

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Leeds United are reportedly rivalling a host of Premier League sides to sign Luca Murphy.

The transfer window may be closed, but it appears that a number of sides from the Premier League and Championship are battling right now over Luca Murphy following the news that the defender is now a free agent.

TEAMtalk names 12 clubs currently chasing the 17-year-old, with Leeds joined by the likes of Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur in the race to sign the teenager, who has now left Hartlepool United by mutual consent.

Murphy appears to have the world at his feet given the options available to him. But, while it is perhaps going to be difficult for the youngster to reject interest from England’s top table, there is a very obvious reason why he should choose Elland Road as his next destination.

Some of the interested clubs have a fantastic record when it comes to bringing young players through. Leeds are most definitely one of those sides, with Marcelo Bielsa encouraging an infrastructure that sees the Whites’ under-23 side use the same system that the first-team adopt.

That has meant that when the likes of Jack Clarke, Jamie Shackleton and Leif Davis moved into the senior fold this season, they already knew exactly what was expected of them, and it seems to have ensured that those players have either earned permanent promotions to the first-team or are well on their way.

Bielsa has kept the pathway clear for youngsters within Carlos Corberan’s squad to move themselves onto his radar. Injuries have probably forced the Leeds boss to dip into the under-23s more than he would have intended to, but Bielsa has never viewed the prospect of handing a youngster their debut as a setback or a risk.

In total, eight academy players have made their senior debuts this season, while several others are not far behind. And with Leeds pushing for promotion out of the Championship, perhaps the Whites should be viewed as Murphy’s ideal destination at this stage of his career.