Leeds United are reportedly keen on Everton’s Joe Williams.
Leeds United face an important summer transfer window, as new manager Paul Heckingbottom needs new reinforcements given that the club are once again set to miss out on a Championship play-off place.
The Whites are 12 points adrift of the top six with just eight games to play, and this term feels particularly galling given that Leeds made such a strong start to the season under Thomas Christiansen.
It’s Heckingbottom at the helm now though, and the new manager needs signings this summer, which may involve returning to sign players he has already worked with at former club Barnsley.
The Sun (18/3, p60) reported that Heckingbottom wants to land Everton midfielder Joe Williams this summer, having signed him on loan for Barnsley last summer.
Williams, 21, has racked up 33 appearances for Barnsley this summer, and whilst he is gearing up for a return to Everton this summer, he may well decide to take a leaf out of Leeds midfielder Adam Forshaw’s book.
Both Williams and Forshaw were born in Liverpool and joined the Everton ranks at the age of just seven, and Forshaw decided to leave Everton permanently in the summer of 2012, having been sent on loan to Brentford.
Now, Williams is faced with a similar quandary, as he could try and fight for his place at Everton, but with so many options in the Toffees midfield, he may be better off emulating Forshaw and leaving Goodison Park permanently in search of regular first-team football.
That could mean that Williams and Forshaw end up being partners in the Leeds engine room next season, and they would be hoping that working together can help them show they made the right choice in leaving Everton to play regularly elsewhere.
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