Leeds United have been linked with a summer move for Shrewsbury midfielder Jon Nolan.
Nolan has been excellent for the League One promotion chasers this season, having scored seven goals and contributed six assists in the third tier, so it should come as little surprise that a number of teams in the league above are eyeing a move.
And when you consider the last time that Leeds saw a central midfielder find the back of the net, it arguably becomes abundantly clear as to why Paul Heckingbottom may be keen on the 25-year-old.
Kalvin Phillips started the season in blistering form for the Whites, notching up five goals within the first few months of the campaign to hint that he was finally ready to realise his potential.
His most recent goal came from a stunning volley in the defeat to Sheffield United back in October. And yet incredibly, that remains the last time that a central midfielder scored a goal for Leeds this season.
Nolan may have no experience in the Championship, but he has shown that he does know how to find the back of the net from the middle of the park, so he may be the kind of player that Heckingbottom can see thriving alongside Adam Forshaw in Leeds’ midfield next season.
Leeds have not exactly struggled for goals this season – or struggled as many may have expected in the wake of Chris Wood’s departure, at least – but it cannot be overlooked that they have slid down the table quite dramatically in the time since a central midfielder last scored a goal.
And while the lack of goals from midfield cannot be the only reason for their fall, they could hardly expect to be in the promotion picture at this stage without asking more questions of opponents from midfield. Perhaps Heckingbottom feels that Nolan would be able to ask those questions if he joined this summer.
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