According to Phil Hay on his personal Twitter account, Leeds United were pursuing a permanent deal for Benfica youngster Oliver Sarkic.
Sarkic, a striker, has only been at Elland Road on a half-season loan deal but, as Hay tweets (below), the thinking at the Whites is that the youngster has done enough to merit a permanent deal. That proved to be the case with the following news from Leeds United.
✍️ | Leeds United are pleased to confirm the signing of Oliver Sarkic from Portuguese side Benfica
Read more ➡️ https://t.co/cU6j45gRfw pic.twitter.com/PlKmftofqs
— Leeds United (@LUFC) January 11, 2018
20-year-old Šarkić started out his football career in Belgium with Anderlecht’s youth side, graduating to their Under-17s in 2012. He moved to Benfica, and their Under-19s in September 2014, progressing through to the Benfica B side in January 2015. He moved away from the Portuguese giants in January this year for a half-season loan to AD Fafe.
He’s made 61 second-tier appearances in Portugal, scoring seven times. 43 of these appearances (five goals/two assists) were for Benfica’s B side, the remaining 18 appearances (two goals) for AD Fafe.
The rated youngster has also featured six times for the Benfica’s Under 19s in the UEFA Youth League across the 2014/15 and 2015/16 seasons. He scored three times: against Bayer Leverkusen in 14/15 and against Galatasaray and FK Pribram in 15/16.
🎥 | Mallik Wilks is fouled in the @HullCity area, and Oliver Sarkic steps up to take the penalty… pic.twitter.com/eNfsDJMCYu
— Leeds United (@LUFC) January 11, 2018
The above video is of Sarkic scoring this afternoon in a rollercoaster affair of a game against Hull City Under-23’s; a game that finished 4-3 to the Whites with their new Polish keeper, Kamil Miazek, receiving a red card after felling a Hull City forward in the area.
Leeds have paid a fee to land the rated forward with the Whites saying on the club website that they “are pleased to confirm the signing of Oliver Sarkic from Portuguese outfit Benfica for an undisclosed fee.”
