Leeds United, under Marcelo Bielsa, is a club who run with a pared-down, very lean first-team squad. That much has been evident since the day that the legendary Argentinian marched into the club.
Players who had no future at the club, who didn’t fit the specification of player that Bielsa was looking for were loaned out of the club or moved on by the Whites. At times, and this has been apparent especially last season during an horrific run of injury absences, this policy has seen the West Yorkshire side stretched to threadbare.
Alongside this outlook and seeming mantra, Leeds have also been rather tight when it comes to transfer windows in that they, according to many of their fans, haven’t shored up glaring gaps in the squad.
This could be about to change according to Football Insider who say that “a Leeds source” has told them that the Whites are tracking Chelsea youngster Reece James who they consider “a possible loan option for January.”
Of course, this would only remain an option as such if James drops out of managerFrank Lampard’s plans at Stamford Bridge. The 19-year-old Chelsea right-back hasn’t featured in the Premier League for the Londoners, but he has made the bench for the last two games against Brighton and Southampton – suggesting that he is firmly in Lampard’s plans.
Leeds United fans will be no stranger to London-born James, a player who they saw excel for Wigan Athletic in the Championship last season whilst on a season-long loan at the DW Stadium. 45 appearances for the Latics included a goal against Leeds in a 2-1 loss and a Herculean effort in defence as a 10-man Wigan side beat the Whites at Elland Road.
Football Insider’s article goes on to say that January interest is only one option that the Whites are pondering. They add that Victor Orta and his recruitment cabal will continue to assess youngster James with a longer-term view “to making a swoop should they get promoted at the end of the season.”
