Leeds United’s 19-year-old midfielder Alex Wollerton seems to be heading out of the club. The young midfielder recently featured for Barnsley’s u-23 side when they locked horns with Colchester recently. Wollerton is a Barnsley born midfielder so one can say he will be coming home if the Tykes go on to offer him a contract in the summer.
Wollerton’s contract with the Whites is set to expire in the upcoming summer, and it seems like there is going to be no new deal on the table for the youngster. The 19-year-old failed to feature much for United’s u-23 side this season. Now it seems like his days at the West Yorkshire club are coming to an end.
The youngster had spent one month with Darlington FC on trial in December and in January, he went for a trial at Hull City. Hopefully, the midfielder would be able to impress at Barnsley, and he could end up joining his hometown club.
Quite a few youngsters have come out of Leeds United’s academy this season who have broken into the first team. For many who make it, there are more who don’t, and Wollerton seems to be one of them. Marcelo Bielsa hasn’t been shy about giving youngsters their chances this season as we have seen the likes of Jamie Shackleton, William Huffer, Jack Clarke, Aapo Halme and Leif Davis making their debut under the Argentine manager.
One cannot blame Leeds United for not offering Wollerton a new contract as the club has aspirations of moving to the Premier League. They need to look at keeping the players who they think can deliver at the big stage. Everyone cannot be Jack Clarke who broke into the first team at 17. By the time he was 18; he started getting linked with some of the top Premier League clubs.
Wollerton signed his first professional contract with the Whites last season and had initially joined the club on a two-year scholarship. The Englishman is a right-sided midfielder and his door to the first team looks closed given the talent the club currently has at its disposal. The Whites recently went on to sign Mateusz Bogusz who as a 17-year-old is thriving with the u-23s.
All in all, this will be a win-win situation for everyone involved as the player is going to be off the club’s wage bill at the end of the season and the midfielder is already looking to seal his opportunities to find a new contract at other clubs.
