Bournemouth want to sign Leeds United midfielder Jamie Shackleton on loan
Bournemouth are among a number of clubs who are interested in signing Jamie Shackleton on loan from Leeds United, according to The Athletic journalist Phil Hay.
Shackleton, 21, has been strongly favoured by Marcelo Bielsa in the last couple of years with the midfielder making 13 Premier League appearances last season.
Writing on The Athletic website, Hay says that he feels Shackleton could do with getting more game and has mooted the possibility of the England Under-20 international being sent out on loan.
“Shackleton has hit the point where he needs a consistent run of games,” said the ex-Yorkshire Evening Post journalist.
“He’s very much part of the plans, even though there are certain clubs (including Bournemouth) who would like to take him on loan.
“The problem for him has been that being part of the plans doesn’t necessarily mean playing much, especially when Leeds are as good as they were last season.
“But I remember him being talked about all the time when he was 15 years old and I’ve always rated him.”
Bournemouth would be a good move
Shackleton has proven he’s more than capable of playing a bit-part role in the Premier League but if he wants to move forward with his development, he might need to take a step backwards.
It could be very worthwhile for the Leeds-born ace to drop back into the Championship and get a full season of game-time under his belt to ensure he continues to develop.
If he stays at Leeds, he might get the odd game here and there next season but that isn’t going to help him out in the long term.
If he joins Bournemouth, he could get at least 30 starts to his name in the Championship and may even play a role in a promotion bid.
The Russian-owned Cherries are going to be among the favourites to return to the Premier League next season.
If Shackleton is playing a lot, winning a lot and maybe winning silverware, that bodes very well for Leeds.
Let’s see if this is a deal that happens and while Shackleton may have a role to play at Elland Road, Bielsa and Victor Orta need to think in the long-term for this talented young player.
In other Leeds United news, Bielsa really wants this central midfielder after a man of the match performance on Sunday.