Leeds United have sensationally been linked with the semi-professional Northern Irish midfielder Gavin Whyte. He plays for the Crusaders who are part of the Northern Irish Premiership. He has gone on to represent his country at the u-21 level and is being touted as a future Northern Ireland International.
Whyte is having a prolific season as he has scored 22 goals in all competitions and has provided a further 8 assists in just 38 appearances. He has been part of the Crusaders since 2013 and they have won NIFL Premiership title for the third time in four years and he has played a crucial role in that.
Whyte is prominently a right winger but can fill in the role of a secondary striker and can even play the traditional no 10 role. The Peacocks are currently on the 14th spot and they will need more firepower next season to come anywhere close to a playoff spot.
They have managed just 57 goals in their entire campaign and will need to rethink their strategies in the summer so that they can be more of an attacking threat next term and Heckingbottom seems to have set his sights on the relatively unknown attacking midfielder.
If this move can work out, it will certainly be a shrewd piece of business as Whyte isn’t going to cost them much. The midfielder was scouted by various other teams in the January transfer window but he decided to stay and play on his home soil. With so much interest coming through, it is tough to see the 22-year-old staying on.
He previously had a trial with Everton in the summer of 2016 but things didn’t materialise with the Merseyside outfit. However, it seems that with more experience under his belt, Whyte has certainly become a player who is worthy of playing in top football leagues. Whyte was recently named Ulster’s footballer of the year and has won various other individual accolades in his home country’s league.
Read More: Leeds United Willing To Make Swansea City Defender Their Highest Earner: Is He Worth The Fuss?
Heckingbottom, who was brought on to take the top job at Elland Road in January, will be getting a chance to recruit some players in the transfer market. We have seen gems being discovered in unknown places and lower leagues and players who don’t even play football full-time. One such example is Jamie Vardy but can Whyte earn the same reputation? Only time will tell.
