Leeds are set to reignite their interest in Bristol City winger Callum O’Dowda, after missing out on him in January, according to the Mirror (live transfer blog, 23.25).
The Times reported that a price tag of £10million scared them off then, although Leeds were concentrating on getting a deal for Swansea winger Dan James over the line.
That went all the way to deadline day before collapsing, leaving Leeds no time to resurrect a deal for O’Dowda.
However, the Mirror claim that Leeds will try again this summer and that Bristol City are prepared to sell the player who has refused to sign a new contract.
The Times report claims that a move for O’Dowda this summer is ‘inevitable’ and that Bristol City would accept £6million for the ROI international.
Good move for Leeds?
Phil Hay called O’Dowda a “stalking horse” back in January, which suggests he was being used as a tactical gambit to get Swansea to move over Daniel James. If that’s the case it almost worked, with James completing a medical and filming his welcome video before the deal collapsed. Leeds probably needed to win promotion to sign James in the summer and O’Dowda could now be a real option. He’s had his price slashed from £10million to £6million and there’s a chance that could go even lower with his contract situation. The 15-cap ROI international was seemingly shortlisted by Victor Orta and Marcelo Bielsa before and he’s the sort of player that Leeds need to add, with Man City reportedly putting a £20million price tag on Jack Harrison.
This is Futbol rating: 8/10
Likely to happen?
O’Dowda’s current deal runs out at the end of next season and this will be the last window the club can get a decent fee for him. He has been frozen out of the Bristol City side since refusing to sign a new contract and hasn’t played for them since March despite being fit. That all adds up to a player who will make a move this summer and Leeds would be a good destination for the player. He might not be at the level of Dan James but Leeds need to move on from that. O’Dowda is 24, a 15-time international for ROI and is a player who could develop well under Bielsa. We can see this one happening.
This is Futbol rating: 7/10