Should Leeds favour Harry Cochrane over John McGinn given derby duels?

Follow us on Google Discover

Leeds United have been linked with moves for John McGinn and Harry Cochrane this year.

Over the weekend, The Scottish Sun reported that Leeds had joined the race to sign Hibernian midfielder John McGinn, who is likely to cost around £5 million as the Whites consider a bid worth half that amount.

McGinn is undoubtedly one of the best players in the Scottish Premiership, and obviously ranks near the very top when you take any players in either of the Old Firm squads out of the equation. It is little surprise therefore, that he appears to have a queue of clubs keen on him.

If Leeds did land McGinn, it would arguably have the potential to be a superb deal. But at £5 million – presuming that Hibs hold out for that figure – it seems possible that Paul Heckingbottom would see a large chunk of his transfer budget wiped out if a move did take place, and given the areas of the Leeds squad that require significant attention over the coming months, it may not be the smartest move unless Andrea Radrizzani has big plans and that is reflected in the transfer kitty.

Instead, perhaps Leeds should consider prioritising a move for another Scottish Premiership midfielder who the Whites have been linked with in recent months.

The Scottish Sun reported in February that the Championship side were keen on Hearts’ Harry Cochrane. He may have since signed another contract with his current club, but he would surely cost significantly less than McGinn may do.

And given how the 17-year-old played in the Edinburgh derbies this season, it would appear that Cochrane has the potential to become an even better player than McGinn in the future.

Despite only becoming old enough to learn to drive in the last month, Cochrane has played McGinn off the park on a couple of occasions when Hearts have faced Hibs. Hearts’ only defeat to their bitter rivals in 2018 came in the game when Cochrane had to be replaced after just 15 minutes due to injury. That should leave Leeds wondering whether McGinn is necessarily worth the money.

Signing Cochrane may not benefit Leeds’ first-team immediately, but perhaps it may prove to be the much better decision in time, especially as the £5 million needed to sign McGinn could be used on areas of the squad that require much more urgent attention.