This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…
It’s almost as if Marcelo Bielsa wants to stockpile young players for winter.
What’s the story?
According to a report from London Football News, Leeds United are looking at the potential of bringing in 18-year-old Chelsea central-midfielder Billy Gilmour on loan.
However, they aren’t the only ones in the race for the teenager with Nottingham Forest also interested.
The Scotland U21 international has predominantly been kept in the youth sides so far this season but he has made a few brief appearances for the senior side.
He made his Premier League debut against Sheffield United and completed 90 minutes in the Carabao Cup against Grimsby Town.
Too many cooks spoiling the broth?
Whilst Gilmour may have a promising future, the issue with him potentially moving to Leeds would be how quickly he could make an impact in the first team.
There are already a number of young central midfielders who are trying to make a career for themselves at Elland Road like Jamie Shackleton and also Carlos Corberan’s U23 options such as Mateusz Bogusz, Alfie McCalmont and Robbie Gotts.
Throw in the more senior players who already occupy that place in Mateusz Klich and Adam Forshaw and it’s very much a closed shop when it comes to that department.
Why are Leeds fans the best in the country? Find out in the video below…
We have seen with the case of Jack Clarke that even if you have a bright future, and have proven yourself under Marcelo Bielsa, that doesn’t mean that game time in the first team is a guarantee – he has yet to start a league outing this term.
Unless this is going to be a loan move that will see Gilmour spend time in the U23 squad whilst Leeds assess him, it just doesn’t make sense to pursue this deal.
Landing the Chelsea man would simply risk stunting the growth of the other youngsters Leeds have on their books.
The deal may not even be possible either if a report in The Sun from the summer is true.
There are concerns Chelsea boss Frank Lampard might not be willing to help them out because of the whole Spygate saga when he was at Derby. Therefore, they might need to be very persuasive in their negotiations.