According to the latest reports from Daily Star, Leeds United are preparing a £7m bid for Reading’s 23-year-old midfielder John Swift. The report adds that Marcelo Bielsa is a massive admirer of the midfielder, and he wants to sign Swift irrespective of the division they play in the next season.
The English midfielder has had an impressive season for the Royals as he has managed six goals and three assists in all competitions, playing in a central midfield position. Swift has come up from Chelsea’s academy and managed to make just one senior team appearance for them in 2014. Reading signed him permanently in 2016 and since then, the midfielder has become a mainstay of the club.
Why Leeds United needs a midfielder?
The Whites have struggled with injuries this season as a quite a few players missed a good chunk of the season. However, they have been lucky that Mateusz Klich has been available for most parts. Apart from him, Bielsa only has Adam Forshaw as the backup option, and he is also a second choice defensive midfielder.
Therefore the club has minimal options in midfield. Klich has often looked jaded in the middle of the park as he has played 42 games in all competitions for the Whites so far. Given the high-intensity brand of football which Bielsa deploys, the manager would love to bolster his midfield options for the next season. That is where someone like Swift can come in.
What will Swift bring to Elland Road?
Swift will be a like for like player for someone like Klich. The Royals man is at his best in a box to box role. The midfielder has quick feet which allow him to wriggle out of tight spaces, and he can influence play in the attacking areas.
Is he worth £7m?
We feel that kind of money for him is too much at the moment. The Englishman does have it in him to produce top performances, but he is a bit inconsistent at the moment. However, something similar happened in January as well when Bielsa was said to be an admirer of Daniel James. Many thought that paying £10m for the winger who was having an okayish season for Swansea was a gamble.
However, after a few months, everyone must have realised why the Argentine gaffer wanted him as James started showing his true colours. Maybe Bielsa has seen something special in Swift, and he feels that he can do a job in midfield for the Whites for years to come. Therefore if Bielsa has given the green light to sign the player for that kind of money, we are not going to question it. But our opinion would be that Swift needs to show more to demand that kind of price tag.
