Craig Scott

Sat 14 August 2021 16:50, UK

Leeds United have seen a second bid for Lewis O’Brien rejected by Huddersfield, according to the Daily Express.

The newspaper reported via their print edition [August 14, page 77] that Huddersfield have told Leeds they need to pay closer to £10million for the 22-year-old, who wants to quit the John Smith’s Stadium to head to Elland Road this summer.

It is understood that Leeds’ second bid for O’Brien was an offer of £3million up front.

Second rejection

If we’ve now tabled two bids for a £10million-rated player and the highest we’ve gone is £3million, it might be time to give up.

Leeds and Huddersfield could find common ground between those two figures, maybe around £6million or £7million. But with the way the Whites are bidding, it doesn’t sound as though they are willing to push the boat out for the central midfielder.

Last week, the Mail on Sunday reported via their print edition [August 8, page 138] that Leeds’ opening bid for O’Brien and that their second one would change Huddersfield’s mind.

But it sounds as though their first bid was £3million in instalments or heavily incentivised but this latest one is an initial £3million, potentially with some bonuses and add-ons.

Clearly, it’s not enough.

However, O’Brien’s willingness to quit Huddersfield and join Leeds could force the Championship club’s hand a bit.

They won’t want to keep a player who wants to leave so that is something for the Whites to work on as they continue pursuing the Colchester-born midfielder.

If he does join Leeds, he might have to wait a while before getting into the starting line-up with Adam Forshaw making Marcelo Bielsa’s squad for the match against Manchester United on Saturday.

Forshaw’s return to fitness means Bielsa has what is kind of like a new signing already in his midfield.

In other Leeds United news, a club seems to have deleted a page about one of their players who’s strongly linked with a move to Elland Road.