JUST IN: Leeds United are “considering a move” for a top star with the Nottingham Forest midfielder set to leave the Premier League club,
Leeds United are “considering a move” for Jonjo Shelvey with the Nottingham Forest midfielder set to leave the Premier League club, according to TEAMtalk.
The outlet reported on their website Monday (21 August) that the 31-year-old is “one of the players they are looking to sacrifice” at the City Ground before the deadline, having not featured yet this season, or in the final seven last term after a “bust up” with manager Steve Cooper.
The Whites are said to have been “alerted” to his availability and are “exploring a deal” with it “widely expected” that he’s played his game at Forest.
Leeds United badly need help in midfield despite signing Ethan Ampadu from Chelsea and seeing 17-year-old Archie Gray make the step up to the first team.
Tyler Adams has just left for Bournemouth, meaning the Whites have lost every senior central midfielder from last season, with Weston McKennie, Marc Roca and Adam Forshaw all exiting this summer.
Emergency reinforcements
Shelvey’s stock has certainly fallen in the past year since a move to Forest from Newcastle, where he had struggled to force his way into Eddie Howe’s plans as part of the Saudi-backed big money revolution.
The former England international only made a total of 13 appearances last season, featuring only eight times for Cooper after his January switch, and a falling out looks to have ended that there.
The ex-Liverpool and Swansea man could be the kind of experienced help that Daniel Farke needs in the middle after Adams joined the Elland Road exodus.
At just 22 Ampadu is the senior man in the midfield now ahead of teenagers Gray and Darko Gyabi, so with 278 Premier League appearances to his name Shelvey might be what the manager is looking for.
He isn’t likely to be expensive so it will likely come down to personal terms and whether he is ready to drop down to the Championship at this stage if the Whites push ahead for a deal.
He is reportedly earning £70,000-a-week at Forest [Telegraph, 29 January], which may be more than Leeds United want to pay unless Farke envisages him being a regular, but numerous players have left a lot of space on the wage bill so a move might work in the final days of the window.
In other Leeds United news, a Whites chief has indicated that it will be incoming business from here on with exits now finished.
