According to reports in the Sunderland Echo, new Sunderland manager Chris Coleman is ready to make a move to bring Liverpool starlet Ben Woodburn to the Stadium of Light on loan.
The Sunderland Echo says that Jurgen Klopp could make the 18-year-old forward available on a temporary basis in order to aid his development, with Coleman keen to lead the race to sign him having handed the teenager six caps since September as Wales boss previously.
Meanwhile, Leeds United avoided a fourth successive Championship defeat when they beat Middlesbrough and former manager Garry Monk 2-1 at Elland Road on Sunday, and Thomas Christiansen will hope it proves to be a turning point in the season for his side following a poor run of form.
The Yorkshire outfit jumped back up to seventh with the victory, and the 44-year-old will already be looking for potential signings in January that could boost his side’s promotion push in the second-half of the campaign, and bringing in Woodburn could prove to be a shrewd move.
Here are three reasons Leeds should hijack Sunderland’s bid to sign Woodburn on loan…
They need more attacking depth
While Pablo Hernandez and Ezgjan Alioski did step up with the two goals in the win against Middlesbrough on Sunday, there is still a question mark over whether Leeds have the depth and quality needed in attacking positions to keep them in top-six contention.
It is an area that Christiansen is likely to take a look at during the January transfer window, and bringing in someone exciting like Woodburn would boost the frontline and provide the Yorkshire outfit with more of a goal threat.
His qualites
Leeds certainly know all about the 18-year-old after he became the youngest ever Liverpool goalscorer against them in the EFL Cup quarter-finals a year ago, and he would certainly bring quality and versatility to the Whites team.
The forward usually operates from the left-hand side but he has also played in a central attacking midfield role, on the right and even in a deeper central midfield for the young Liverpool teams this season.
Able to score with both feet and with a good creative eye – the teenager has scored eight goals and provided a further eight assists in 18 Premier League 2 appearances in total – he looks to be a huge talent.
Maturity
Some players would get overawed if they were making their debut for Liverpool and Wales at the age of 17, but not Woodburn.
The attacker scored on just his second appearance for the Reds against Leeds, while he netted on his debut for his country with a superb 25-yard strike against Austria in 2018 World Cup qualification.
The maturity and ability to not only cope with pressure of playing but also making a huge impact on the pitch has been admirable, and it certainly suggests that he could help Leeds aim for promotion in the second-half of the campaign should he join them on loan.
Do you agree, Whites fans? Let us know below.
