Report claims two PL clubs interested in Kyle Bartley; time for Leeds United to give up?

Follow us on Google Discover

Swansea City’s Kyle Bartley is reportedly wanted by Leeds United, Middlesbrough, Stoke City and Crystal Palace in the summer transfer window.

Leeds United fans would love to have Kyle Bartley back at Elland Road for the 2017-18 campaign.

The defender was one of the best players for Leeds last season and formed a formidable partnership with Pontus Jansson at the back.

Bartley has returned to his parent club Swansea City and is with Paul Clement’s side on their pre-season tour of the USA at the moment.

One suspects that Clement will make a decision on the centre-back’s future only after the Swans are back in England; maybe the decision will be made before the 2017-18 Premier League campaign starts.

Leeds are interested in securing the services of the former Arsenal prospect in the summer transfer window, according to The Yorkshire Evening Post, but they are going to face competition from as many as three clubs.

According to The Sun, Premier League duo Stoke City and Crystal Palace are interested in the 26-year-old defender, who is also claimed to be on the radar of Championship club Middlesbrough, now managed by Garry Monk, who was in charge of Leeds last season.

Footballers want to play at the highest level possible, and one suspects that Bartley would love to play in the Premier League again.

The former England Under-17 international may have enjoyed his time at Leeds and the Elland Road faithful love him, but it is hard to see him choose a club in the Championship over a team in the English top fight if he is assured of first-team chances.

Stoke are an established Premier League club and are more attractive than Championship outfit Leeds at the moment, while Palace could be on the verge of doing great things following the appointment of Frank de Boer as manager.

Perhaps it would be wise of Leeds to give up on their pursuit of Bartley and focus on other defensive targets.

After all, the Whites could have to wait until late in the transfer window to know what’s happening with the defender, and in the end they may not get him.

It is important that Leeds head coach Thomas Christiansen has all his key players in place for the start of the 2017-18 Championship campaign, and maybe he should not wait for Bartley.