Whenever a team has players who play above the general standard of the team or show progress and potential beyond their tender years, then you can expect higher league interest. This is the case at Elland Road with Leeds United and Lewis Cook who the Shoot website say is expectecd to be an £8m signing for south coast club Bournemouth.
Whilst not directly referencing any sources as to the veracity of their claim, it is safe to say that youngster Cook ranks up there amongst the Championship’s brightest talents since consolidating his place in the Leeds United first team squad. The claims that Shoot make are somewhat backed up by a couple of articles printed in the Yorkshire Evening Post and Yorkshire Post. In the Yorkshire Evening Post article from December 10, reporteer Phil Hay says of Bournemouth interest, “Cook is a player who Bournemouth value at around £10m, and Eddie Howe is making no secret of his interest” whilst the article in the Yorkshire Post of December 30 states, “Bournemouth are the latest club to be strongly linked and a bid is believed to be imminent in January.”
Cook has been, apart from a three-game ban for a red card in the Capital One Cup against Doncaster Rovers, an ever-present name on the Leeds United teamsheet featuring in all 22 possible Championship games this season (one as a substitute). This builds on his impressive breakthrough season of the 2014/15 Championship campaign when he featured in 37 of Leeds’ 46 Championship fixtures, only four coming as a substitute.
Lewis Cook gives unceasing drive from midfield and is a tenacious tackler, often winning ball and turning defence into attack. He is an Under-17 European Championship winner with England and is currently a continued part of the England Under-19 set-up with many tipping him to progress to Under-21 honours at some point in the not too distant future.
With such prodigious talent and potential, you can see why Premier League clubs would be willing to pay a multi-million deal to land one of the Championship’s hot properties.
