Why David Brooks could be a smashing signing for Leeds United
According to Wales Online, Premier League newcomers Leeds United are among a host of English top-flight clubs interested in securing the services of playmaker David Brooks from Bournemouth.
The Cherries are currently facing a big fight to hold on to their best players following their relegation from the Premier League. Brooks has also attracted interest from Newcastle United, Tottenham, West Ham, Leicester City, and Crystal Palace. (h/t Wales Online)
Bournemouth though, are hoping to pocket a fee of around £40million for the Welshman, who was signed by Eddie Howe’s side from Sheffield United for just £11.5million back in 2018. (h/t Wales Online)
Profile
Born in Warrington, Brooks spent 10 years in the youth system at Man City between 2004 and 2014 before switching boats to join the academy of Sheffield United.
Having spent time on loan at Halifax Town in the National League, the highly-rated ace shot to prominence for the Blades during the 2017-18 Championship season. He then completed a move to the top-flight with Bournemouth.
Brooks enjoyed an incredible debut season in the 2018-19 Premier League, scoring 7 goals and grabbing 5 assists in 30 appearances. His impressive breakthrough made him a force to reckon with in the top-flight.
The 23-year-old also featured regularly for Wales during their Euro 2021 qualification campaign, earning plaudits for his pace, passing, creativity and dribbling ability (h/t Wales Online).
Why Brooks could be a good investment for Leeds
Leeds finished the 2019-20 Championship campaign with 77 goals, the joint second-best scoring record in the division. But things will surely be a lot tougher in the Premier League.
The West Yorkshire giants have already signed Helder Costa on a permanent deal and while 35-year-old Pablo Hernandez too has considerable PL experience under his belt, one does get the feeling that Bielsa still needs to add a young but proven top-flight creative player to his ranks.
Jack Harrison has, of course, proven his credentials in the Championship but he’s yet to play in the Premier League, whilst youngster Ian Poveda remains pretty much an unproven talent at the highest level.
That’s one of the key reasons why the Whites need to bring in a few upgrades on their existing attacking options. Brooks’ ability to score as well as create goals for his teammates, as evident from his track record, could hand a boost to their bid for survival.
There are few better than Marcelo Bielsa when it comes to extracting the best out of young players. The arrival of Brooks would definitely offer the Argentine tactician with some top-quality talent to work with.
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Essentially a No.10 by trade, Brooks is also versatile enough to slot into wide attacking roles on either flank. This should certainly improve the manager’s squad dynamics.
Verdict
All in all, Brooks not only fits the bill as an immediate game-changer at Elland Road but at 23, he still has plenty of room for improvement to deliver his massive potential in the years to come.
