According to Fabrizio Romano, Jayden Lineou is set to join Leeds United from Manchester City. The teenager will move for a package under £500,000 from the former Premier League champions, and the 17-year-old will join the Under-21 setup at Leeds United.
Manchester City signed Jayden Lienou from the Everton academy in March 2024, and they appear to have found a quick resolution to his immediate future. The talented left-back is now set to sign for Leeds United, and he will join up with their U-21 side as the first step towards senior action.
Leeds United have agreed to sign Lienou for a package under £500,000, which seems fair for a player who is growing in stature. Manchester City have produced some massive talents out of their academy over the years, but they might have felt to let go of the 17-year-old for reasons unknown.
The assumption might lean towards the 17-year-old Manchester City wonderkid being keen on a quicker pathway towards the first team, and he could have felt the Leeds United setup suited his cause better. Leeds United’s sporting director, Adam Underwood and loans manager Andre Taylor were mentioned by Fabrizio Romano as key to this deal.
Leeds United may have agreed a move for Lienou, but the left-back is not seen fit enough for the first team plans, at least for now. Daniel Farke wants new full-back options ahead of the new season, particularly on the left-hand side. There were links to Nuno Tavares among others, as the manager seeks a first-choice starter for the new campaign.
There were links to African teenage full-back Souaibo Jassi from CD Santa Clara, but he, too, may not be someone they want for the senior side. Hence, the links to Lille’s Gabriel Gudmundsson make a lot of sense, and it appears the left-back is close to arriving from the French outfit.
Overall, the idea of a first-choice starter following Junior Firpo’s departure in the summer seems to be the priority, as Gudmundsson might be the man to come in. However, the idea of bringing in players like the 17-year-old Manchester City wonderkid Lienou could be designed to keep building from the youth sides for the future.
