Leeds signing this talented 22-year-old Championship starlet would be a great addition to Bielsa’s ranks

Why Leeds United should continue pursuit of Ovie Ejaria

According to The Athletic (h/t Leeds Live), Leeds United have been linked with a move for Reading midfielder Ovie Ejaria, with Marcelo Bielsa keen to bolster his options in the middle of the park.

The 22-year-old only completed a permanent move to Championship outfit Reading from Liverpool earlier this summer after spending a season-and-a-half on loan at the Madejski Stadium. However, newly-promoted Leeds are prepared to prise him away from Berkshire with the lure of Premier League football. 

Profile

Ovie Ejaria spent nine years in Arsenal’s academy between 2005 and 2014 before joining the youth ranks at Liverpool. He burst on to the scene as an exciting teenager during the 2016-17 season, making 8 first-team appearances for the Reds, including two in the Premier League. 

However, Ejaria never featured for the club in subsequent campaigns and spent time on loan at Sunderland in the EFL Championship and Rangers in the Scottish Premiership before joining Reading in January 2019. The highly-rated midfielder made over 50 appearances for the Royals before completing a permanent move away from Liverpool.

The England U-21 starlet has made 58 appearances for Reading in all competitions, registering 5 goals and 7 assists in the process.

Ejaria would add more depth to Leeds’ midfield

Leeds United still lack quality depth in several areas of the pitch despite getting deals over the line for some high-profile players like Robin Koch, Rodrigo Moreno and Diego Llorente. Central midfield is one department where the Whites ideally need more cover and competition for places to reduce the workload on the likes of Mateusz Klich and Pablo Hernandez.

Klich has enjoyed a great start to life in the top-flight, netting against Liverpool and Fulham in September, but Hernandez has found himself on the sidelines more often than not due to injuries. Moreover, the Spaniard is nearing his swansong at 35, so there are chances that he might struggle to play week in week out in the Premier League.

Bielsa has shown a lot of faith in youngster Tyler Roberts to slot into that No.10 role while Rodrigo has also excelled in that position. Leeds also have promising youngsters like Mateusz Bogusz, Jamie Shackleton and Robbie Gotts competing for places, but their lack of experience could very well be an issue for them in the top-flight. 

Ovie Ejaria, to that end, presents a young and exciting midfield option for Leeds United. The 22-year-old has already proven his worth at Reading in the Championship and certainly deserves a shot at the Premier League. 

The former Liverpool graduate is versatile enough to switch between attacking and box-to-box roles in the middle of the park while he’s also comfortable playing out wide down the left-hand side of the pitch.

Hence, Ejaria’s ability to operate in so many different positions would not only reduce the workload on the likes of Hernandez and Klich, but also offer Bielsa with some valuable cover for Jack Harrison down the wings.

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Verdict

Ovie Ejaria didn’t really get a fair crack of the whip at Liverpool to prove himself but his progress at Reading in the Championship has been very impressive indeed. The 22-year-old still has his best years ahead of him and Leeds United completing a deal for the versatile midfielder would be a fantastic long-term investment.