Premier League giants Chelsea and Spurs reportedly want Ivan Lepinjica – but the Rijeka star has admirers at Leeds United and West Bromwich Albion too.
HNK Rijeka starlet Ivan Lepinjica is a man in demand with Leeds United, West Bromwich Albion, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea battling to secure the young Croatian’s signature, according to TPortal.
It seems that Championship title-chasers Leeds will face some rather familiar competition if they want to get this exciting transfer over the line.
Marcelo Bielsa will have to go head-to-head, not only with second-tier rivals West Brom, but also Frank Lampard too. His Chelsea side appear to be the front-runners, according to the report, while Tottenham are also in the race to sign the latest midfield maestro to emerge in Croatian football.
Whether Lepinjica can following the footsteps of Mateo Kovacic, Luka Modric, Marcelo Brozovic and co, well, only time will tell. But the 20-year-old, who can play in defensive midfield or at centre-half, is certainly making a name for himself at the heart of a Rijeka side who are sitting third in the Croatian league as it stands.
Lepinjica doesn’t need us to tell him that regular game-time will be difficult to come by at Tottenham or Chelsea. But if he wants to play, Leeds could be the perfect destination.
Bielsa doesn’t care about age. If you’re old enough, you’re good enough.
And, as links to the likes of Zain Westbrooke and Andy Rinomhota suggest, Leeds are looking for a young, promising central midfielder to provide some extra competition in a rather tight-knit squad.
Could Lepinjica be the Kalvin Phillips understudy that Leeds have, so far, struggled to find?
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
