According to Phil Hay, Oliver Casey is on the verge of leaving Leeds United. The Athletic reporter from Yorkshire believes that the youngster could leave Elland Road before the ongoing January transfer window slams to a shut. He has also suggested that Leeds are unlikely to bring in any new players during these final few days of the window.
Oliver Casey’s Spell At Leeds United So Far
A native of Leeds, Oliver Casey has been a part of his hometown at an early age. He was most notably playing for the U18 side before moving to the reserve or the Professional Development Squad in the summer of 2019. He has since become a regular in the PDL, notably making ten appearances in the ongoing campaign.
In fact, the youngster has built a strong defensive partnership alongside another promising player in Charlie Cresswell. The duo has helped Leeds United’s Development squad to remain on top of Premier League 2.
Casey himself has been rewarded with three first-team appearances with the Whites. Unfortunately, the 20-year-old has struggled to make use of those opportunities, notably getting subbed at half-time twice in cup defeats to Crawley Town and Hull City. His disappointing performances alongside Cresswell have appeared as a major stumbling block in their route to the first-team.
Should Marcelo Bielsa Keep Hold Of Casey?
Leeds United have certainly struggled in the defensive department this season, especially in terms of injuries. Their two marquee summer signings in Robin Koch and Diego Llorente have both missed a chunk of the campaign through their respective injuries while club captain Liam Cooper has been on and off as well, with his lack of fitness.
As a result, Marcelo Bielsa has had to rely on the services of Luke Ayling at centre-back, at times. So one could make the argument that Casey could potentially become useful for the Whites, as far as providing the depth in the defensive unit is concerned.
At the same time, however, it is fair to point out that Leeds do have potential alternatives in Pascal Struijk. Perhaps more importantly, the likes of Koch and Llorente aren’t likely to be sidelined for long, even though the latter picked up a little knock in the recent win over Newcastle United.
In addition, Casey’s performances in the first-team have been far from impressive, even against relatively weaker opponents. Hence, a temporary move away from Elland Road could aid the youngster and help him gain more game-time in professional football. In fact, sending both him and Cresswell out on loan might not be a bad idea from the Yorkshire outfit, during these remaining days of the transfer window.
