According to The Athletic (subscription needed), Leeds United are interested in the services of Sam Greenwood. The young forward currently plays for the Arsenal reserves and has been identified as one of the targets for the newly-promoted Premier League club this summer. Greenwood could be recruited as part of Leeds United’s push to strengthen their youth academy.
Who is Sam Greenwood?
Greenwood has been a part of the Arsenal youth academy since 2018 when he joined from Sunderland U-18s. After playing for the Arsenal U-18s for two years, the young striker has now been promoted to the reserve side this summer.
The 18-year-old did, however, feature in five Premier League 2 matches for the Arsenal reserves last season. He has impressed the onlookers with his flair and dynamism in the final third.
Indeed, Greenwood is advertised as a modern-day centre-forward, who is blessed with quick-feet. He also has excellent close control that lets him dribble past defenders quite easily.
While playing as a striker, the Englishman can drift away to a wider position at any given time, which makes him quite similar to Chelsea star Timo Werner. He has the pace to complement his dynamic presence, thus making him a real threat on the counter.
However, one of Greenwood’s biggest asset is the fact that the youngster has no definitive weak foot. He is capable of drifting in from both sides and test the goalkeeper, while the Arsenal starlet is also good at set-pieces.
Greenwood: A small part of a big Leeds United project
Unlike players like Jack Harrison, Helder Costa or Illan Meslier, Greenwood will not be brought in and expected to provide more quality in Leeds’ first-team. However, he is indeed a part of the club’s commendable effort to promote its youth development.
It is a reason why the Whites have already signed a bunch of domestic talents, ranging from Joe Gelhardt and Cody Drameh to Charlie Allen. They all boast the potential to become an asset for any Premier League club and Greenwood, in that regard, should be a fascinating addition.
As mentioned earlier, the 18-year-old has shown immense quality in youth competitions. With the right amount of game-time, he could easily earn himself a promotion to Leeds’ senior squad in the upcoming season.
It is also fair to point out that Leeds themselves are a little shallow in the number nine slot, with Patrick Bamford being the only option. Although the Whites are expected to sign a new centre-forward, the lack of depth should make the job easier for Greenwood to make a breakthrough at Elland Road in the near future.
