Leeds United are keen on signing Chelsea goalkeeper Jamal Blackman on loan. The Whites have already raided the Premier League side for Lewis Baker and now want Blackman as well.
Here are five things to know about him-
- He has never made a senior appearance for Chelsea- The 24-year-old goalkeeper joined Chelsea at Under-13’s level and progressed through the ranks at Stamford Bridge. Blackman has never played for their first-team but has been a regular for their youth sides.
- Represented England- Blackman has played for England at Under-16, Under-17 and Under-19 level. He was also called up to the Under-21’s in 2014 but did not play a game.
- Championship experience- His first loan move away from Chelsea was with Middlesbrough in August 2014 but he played only once for them in the League Cup during his time at the Riverside. However, Blackman got plenty of Championship experience last season on loan at Sheffield United, where he played 33 games for the Blades.
- Interesting loan spells- Blackman has also had loan stints at Ostersunds and Wycombe Wanderers. He moved to Sweden in March 2016 for two months to join Ostersunds, who were managed by the now Swansea City boss Graham Potter, before joining Wycombe on a season-long loan for the 2016/17 campaign.
- Contracted at Chelsea until 2021- Blackman has got a long-term contract at Chelsea but it is yet to be known whether he has a future as a number one there. His likely loan move to Leeds United will help him gain more first-team experience next season.
