Leeds United have reportedly agreed a deal with Manchester City to take Ian Poveda to Elland Road.
According to the Daily Mail, Marcelo Bielsa’s side are closing in on an agreement to take Poveda down to the Championship. This comes after Celtic were also linked with a move for the player’s services in the Daily Express.
The Daily Mail have stated that Torino were also keen to take Poveda to Italy. However, Leeds are the only club to have reportedly reached an agreement with City.
Poveda has made one appearance for Manchester City during his time at the club. That came in an EFL Cup match against Burton Albion back in January 2019.
Outside of that, his career has been spent in the reserve ranks, playing regularly for the City development squad in the Premier League 2.
A deal that really could’ve helped us
It’s disappointing to see Poveda likely heading to Leeds without a fight. Neil Lennon hasn’t been asked about the City winger, and there are no signs of us moving for him anytime soon.
However, he could’ve been the answer to a long-term problem at Parkhead down the right. James Forrest still doesn’t have any competition, with Marian Shved still nowhere near the first-team. The signing of Poveda could’ve sprung Forrest into action.
Forrest’s best time at the club in terms of his own individual performances came when Patrick Roberts signed for us on loan during his second spell. It forced our main man to step up his game, something he doesn’t need to do at the moment.
Poveda’s quick feet, skill, and deadly eye for a pass would’ve made him a serious contender here. The fact he was out of contract at the end of the season also made this deal an available one for us to go and chase.
When it comes to signing young talent from down south, Celtic have had some real success stories. The likes of Roberts, Dedryck Boyata, and Olivier Ntcham all came from City’s academy. Poveda was cut from the same cloth, and has so much potential in him.
At the end of the day, this is one we could come to regret. There’s no sign of a last-minute offer from Parkhead, so this is another one we can likely put a line through.
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