Leeds United have been dealt a setback in their bid to bring George Hall to Elland Road in the summer transfer window.

What's the talk?

That's according to a report by Birmingham Live, who claim that, following The Athletic revealing last month that Victor Orta is interested in making a move for the 18-year-old attacking midfielder this summer, Birmingham City are adamant that they will reject any offers made for the England under-18 international over the remaining weeks of the transfer market.

Previous reports had suggested that both Newcastle United and Brighton & Hove Albion are also keeping a close eye on the situation of the Blues' starlet ahead of potentially launching a bid of their own this summer.

The next Bellingham

Considering just how much hype there appears to be about Hall's future in the game, coupled with the fact that Orta is well-known for trying to lure England's most exciting youth prospects to Thorp Arch - as is evidenced by his signings of Joe Gelhardt, Sam Greenwood, Lewis Bate, Darko Gyabi and Sonny Perkins in recent years - it is not difficult to see why the Spaniard would be keen on a move for the 18-year-old this summer.

Indeed, the forward-thinking midfielder highly impressed for both Birmingham's under-18 and under-23 sides last season, scoring three goals and registering two assists over 12 fixtures for the latter last time out.

These impressive returns saw the two Championship appearances in 2021/22.

While it is undeniable that the youngster has a long way to go before he can truly be compared to another of Birmingham's academy graduates in Jude Bellingham, it is clear that hopes at St Andrew's are similarly high for Hall, with under-18s coach Martyn Olorenshaw stating of the Redditch-born prospect:

"He is explosive, dynamic and has the prowess to influence games. He is a really exciting player that has the ceiling to achieve whatever he wants to achieve. He has received international recognition recently which is a huge achievement, a testament to all his hard work and a reflection of his character."

As such, considering just how exciting a prospect the 18-year-old appears to be, should Orta manage to convince Birmingham into parting with the attacking midfielder this summer, the Whites' director of football could very well have unearthed the next Bellingham for Leeds - something that is sure to be an extremely tantalising prospect for both supporters and Jesse Marsch alike.

AND in other news: Orta plotting Leeds offer for "stunning" target, he's "one of the brightest prospects"