Leeds United are unlikely to sign Brighton midfielder Oliver Norwood even though he will leave the Premier League club before the transfer window shuts, according to a BBC Yorkshire journalist.
Correspondent Adam Pope reported on his personal Twitter account on Wednesday morning in an exchange with a United fan that he does not expect the Northern Ireland international to head to Elland Road ahead of tomorrow’s deadline day.
Pope mentioned Hull City as a possible destination for Norwood, who has been linked with a move to Leeds in the last week.
Norwood will be going from Brighton but #lufc seems unlikely. Hull has been mentioned but could be anywhere yet.
— Adam Pope (@apopey) August 8, 2018
Good move for Leeds?
Norwood is exactly the type of player Leeds should be trying to sign ahead of tomorrow’s deadline for permanent deals. He is experienced, proven in the Championship and, aged 27, only just hitting his peak. With Ronaldo Vieira sold to Sampdoria last week and Adam Forshaw out for six weeks, United need more quality in the centre of the pitch, which was patrolled impressively by Mateusz Klich and Kalvin Phillips in last Sunday’s impressive 3-1 win over Stoke City. Norwood has the qualities to make a big impression at Leeds, as he showed in playing a key role for Fulham and Brighton in consecutive promotion-winning campaigns in the last two seasons.
This Is Futbol rating 8/10
Likely to happen?
Given how reliable Pope is, this now appears far less likely than last weekend, when Leeds were reported to be in talks with Brighton over a deal costing around £1.5million. With time running out before the window shuts, it appears that United are now looking elsewhere to strengthen their squad.
This Is Futbol rating 3/10