Man City ready damaging raid for tremendous young Leeds talent compared to Messi; Farke will be fuming

Leeds manager Daniel Farke with Man City boss Pep Guardiola

Daniel Farke and Pep Guardiola

Manchester City are reportedly set to step up their hunt to sign rising young Leeds United prospect Finley Gorman, who has been tipped to have a massive future in the game and is rated as one of English football’s top prospects.

The Whites saw their squad utterly devastated over the summer following relegation from the Premier League with 15 players departing from Elland Road, leaving Leeds with a major rebuild ahead of their return to the Championship.

And while the likes of Tyler Adams and Rodrigo Moreno departed for fees – £24m in the former’s case – plenty of other big name stars, including Marc Roca, Robin Koch, Max Wober, Jack Harrison, Rasmus Kristensen, Brenden Aaronson and Luis Sinisterra – all left after exploiting loan clauses in their United deals.

Thankfully for Leeds, and their new owners, 49ers Enterprises, the club were able to act relatively swiftly in the summer market and brought in several new signings with the likes of Joel Piroe and Ethan Ampadu all making big impressions already in West Yorkshire.

Arguably, the story of their season, so far, however, has been the emergence of teenage star Archie Gray, who has quickly established himself as a star of genuine quality that makes it hard to fathom he is only still 17 years of age.

Operating mainly as a central midfielder, Gray was forced into a makeshift right-back role last time out against Bristol City, where the teenager was named a deserved Man of the Match.

Gray comes from great stock with his great uncle, Eddie a Leeds legend, while his grandfather, Frank, and father, Andy, have also played with distinction for the Whites.

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Leeds could lose Finley Gorman to Man City

Indeed, the Whites have a rich history of developing talented players through their academy with the likes of James Milner, Jonathan Woodgate, Fabian Delph, Aaron Lennon and most recently, Kalvin Phillips, all going on to appear for England after breaking through the Leeds ranks.

Gray looks well placed to one day follow suit, while his brother, Harry, looks another one to soon come off the Leeds production line.

However, the one young star Leeds are most excited about down at Thorp Arch is 15-year-old prospect Finley Gorman.

The 15-year-old went viral earlier this season after footage emerged of him online of his dazzling talents. Blessed with a wand of a left foot, which some suggest reminds them of a young Lionel Messi or Phil Foden, Gorman has already appeared regularly for Leeds’ Under-18s, so far ahead of his peers he is in his development.

Sadly, though, for Leeds, the Yorkshire Evening Post report that Manchester City and Newcastle have both taken note of his skills, with the Premier League pair looking to snare the player from the Whites before he signs pro forms, which he can only do when he turns 17.

However, it is City who are leading that chase with Gorman wowing their coaches after a recent performance against them. Now the Cityzens are reportedly planning a firm offer to tempt him from Leeds, in a move that would come as a bitter blow for the club.

Indeed, with Daniel Farke seeing Gorman as a future star in the making for Leeds, the German would be fuming to lose his talented prospect.

Leeds will hope that Gorman sees his prospects best suited by remaining with Leeds, rather than moving to City, where he would be competing with a stronger pool of youngsters for a shot at the big time.

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Finley Gorman