By Daniel Feliciano

13th Jul, 2022 | 7:40am

Jamie Shackleton waiting on financials before sealing Leeds United loan exit to Millwall

Jamie Shackleton is close to a loan exit from Leeds, with Phil Hay reporting he is waiting at Thorp Arch for the financials to be green lighted.

The tenacious midfielder has seen his first-team football chances lessened with the midfield arrivals of Marc Roca and Tyler Adams this summer, and the club look set to allow him to leave temporarily.

A deal with Championship outfit Millwall is close to being agreed, with the player waiting for “financials to fall in place” before a deal can be confirmed. He would join Charlie Cresswell at the New Den for the 2022/23 season.

Shackleton made 14 appearances in the Premier League for Leeds in the 2021/22 season, but only featured for 22 minutes under manager Jesse Marsch.

Important

Despite all the first-team outgoings and major arrivals, some of the most important business this summer will be how the club handles the young players in the squad.

Cresswell has already been allowed to leave for more regular football, and Shackleton looks like he could be on the way too. Then there are the likes of Sam Greenwood, Joe Gelhardt, Crysencio Summerville and Lewis Bate to think about too.

If they aren’t going to be a regular part of the first-team squad this season, then the club must ensure they’re still able to develop elsewhere or they’ll be wasted.

Marcelo Bielsa was insistent on a small squad to keep those players on the fringes but it almost cost them their Premier League status last time around, and they seem to be straying away from it.

A Championship loan is ideal for Shackleton at this stage of his career and he will be hoping to string together a season that puts him in contention at Elland Road from 2023 and beyond.

In other Leeds news, one PL club has moved ahead of the Whites in the chase for this youth international striker