Should Leeds enquire about Tom Lees amid Sheffield Wednesday reports?

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Leeds United need to strengthen their defensive options this summer, so perhaps they should consider offering Tom Lees the chance to return.

When Leeds allowed Tom Lees to leave for their Championship rivals in 2014, it appeared to be a smart decision from the Whites with the centre-back’s development seemingly stagnating at Elland Road.

At one stage, it had appeared that Lees was going to be a stalwart for Leeds for a long time. After impressing out on loan, the defender eventually established himself as a key player for the club, making over 120 Championship appearances before his exit for Sheffield Wednesday.

Unfortunately, it seemed that Lees was not realising his potential and was somewhat struggling to keep mistakes out of his game. His move to Sheffield Wednesday seemed to suit all parties.

And at Hillsborough, the 27-year-old has arguably kicked on in a way that some may not have expected. Though the Owls did poorly last season, they have reached the play-offs twice in Lees’ spell with the club.

But the Daily Mirror is now reporting that Wednesday could have to consider selling some of their players, with Barry Bannan and Fernando Forestieri named as those who could be sold to lower the wage bill. Lees’ name is not mentioned in the report, but perhaps Leeds should enquire about whether Wednesday would be interested in letting the former England under-21 international leave.

Lees should not be Marcelo Bielsa’s marquee defensive target this summer, but the new Leeds boss should certainly keep his options open and consider bringing more than one new defender in given how poor the Whites were at the back last season.

If Wednesday are willing to discuss a decent fee for Lees, he would arguably be a very shrewd addition to the club’s ranks during a summer where the defence arguably needs a lot of work. And perhaps proving that he is much better than the player who departed four years ago may be the kind of motivating factor that tempts Lees to consider a return if it was offered.