A crushing Leeds United development has emerged on their pursuit of James Garner heading into the summer transfer window...
What's the talk?
Journalist Jacque Talbot has revealed that the Lillywhites will not be signing the English central midfielder ahead of the 2022/23 campaign as their Premier League rivals are refusing to do a deal with them.
He tweeted:
"No chance James Garner goes Everton or Leeds. Man United won’t sell him permanently either. Full story out later this week."
The reporter then added:
"Man United aren't going to sell to a direct rival like Everton or Leeds of all clubs and potentially see him flourish into a world-beater. Could turn out to be like another Wilfred Zaha situation."
Supporters will be gutted
The supporters will be gutted by this claim from Talbot as it comes as a huge blow to Jesse Marsch heading into the next Premier League season.
Garner enjoyed a sublime campaign in the second tier on loan with Nottingham Forest and he would have been an exciting addition to Leeds' squad.
In the Championship, the midfielder averaged a sublime SofaScore rating of 7.26 across 41 matches as he delivered excellent performances on a consistent basis. He also produced four goals and eight assists from the middle of the park as he showcased his ability to contribute in the final third.
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Defensively, he put himself about as he made 3.2 tackles and interceptions and won 3.9 duels per game for Steve Cooper's side. This shows that he works hard off the ball to win possession back for his side and can be an asset at both ends of the pitch.
Former Leeds goalkeeper Paul Robinson lavished him with praise in the 2021/22 campaign, saying:
“Garner has been exceptional at Forest. He is an example of why players get sent out on loan.
“He can play at the top level and I think he has proven that at Forest. I don’t think he’s one that will go straight into the Man United side but I think there is a first-team role there for him and he will feature next season."
These comments show that the eye test matches the statistics as a former professional was impressed by his displays and he had outstanding stats.
Therefore, Leeds fans will now be gutted that the club has 'no chance' of being able to sign Garner. The 21-year-old would have been an exciting signing for the club but Victor Orta will now need to identify alternative targets in the coming weeks.
AND in other news, Orta can now seal "eye-catching" Leeds signing with £20m bid for "sensational" talent...