Leeds United fans have been making all the noise in the Transfer Tavern this season, although Newcastle United supporters have been giving them a run for their money in recent weeks.
Rafa Benitez’s Magpies lost their opening two Premier League matches of the season but have since recorded back-to-back victories over West Ham and Swansea City, the latter a 1-0 success on Sunday thanks to Jamaal Lascelles’ late header.
While Yorkshire giants Leeds are sitting pretty at the top of the Championship after winning five of their first seven league games under Thomas Christiansen, yet supporters of both clubs may well be stopped in their tracks based on a recent report from Football Insider.
And that’s because Preston North End defender Josh Earl, a target of both Leeds and Newcastle over the summer, has reportedly ended any doubt about his future by signing a new deal at Deepdale.
The 18-year-old came up through the ranks at the Lancashire-based outfit to sign his first professional deal back in April of this year, and he has since made his senior debut for the club in their 1-0 success over Reading last month.
In fact, the midfielder has started their last four Championship matches (incidentally they’ve lost none of them) to underline his importance to Preston boss Alex Neil, and reports suggest that he is on the verge of penning a new three-year deal with the second tier outfit.
And this is surely going to come as a blow to both Leeds and Newcastle, who have reportedly made approaches for the midfielder, in news which is set to cloud the optimism circulating at both clubs at this present time.
Landlord’s verdict: Preston starlet Josh Earl was a relative unknown little over a month ago, but four successive Championship starts, and fine performances to match, has raised his stock ten-fold.
And it has attracted interest from several clubs around the country, including Leeds and Newcastle, forcing the Deepdale hierarchy to move to secure the 18-year-old’s future.
This is likely to come as a blow to Thomas Christiansen and Rafa Benitez, with both placing great emphasis on youth in recent times, but Preston deserve much credit for getting their business done early ahead of the January transfer window.
Leeds and Newcastle fans… what do you make of the news? Let us know!
