Leeds United are closing in on a deal to bring George Hall to Elland Road in the January transfer window.
What’s the talk?
That’s according to a report by TEAMtalk, who claim that, with Victor Orta having been linked with a move for the Birmingham City starlet over the past 12 months, the Whites’ director of football is now closing in on a move for the 18-year-old – with Leeds set to take advantage of the Blues’ financial difficulties following a failed takeover attempt.
The report goes on to state that a number of other Premier League clubs are also interested in the central midfielder, while Leeds are said to view the England U19 international as a ‘potential star in the making’ and a talent who is ‘capable of developing into a first-team player’ for Jesse Marsch in the not-too-distant future.
Bellingham 2.0
Considering just how exciting a prospect Hall very much appears to be, it is not difficult to understand why Orta would be interested in bringing the teenager to Elland Road this winter, as the midfielder could well prove to become the next Jude Bellingham-esque talent to come out of St. Andrew’s.
Indeed, the 18-year-old first started to catch the eye during his time in the Blues’ academy set-up, scoring three goals and registering two assists over ten fixtures for the U18s, as well as bagging three goals and providing one assist over 12 outings for the U21s.
These returns saw the playmaker come in for a considerable amount of praise, with the club’s U18s head coach, Martyn Olorenshaw, stating of the teenager last year: “It is really positive, he has been in the programme since pre-academy, to get a boy all the way through is a massive pat on the back for everybody involved either now or previously in George’s journey.
“He is explosive, dynamic and has the prowess to influence games. He is a really exciting player that has the ceiling to achieve whatever he wants to achieve. He has received international recognition recently which is a huge achievement, a testament to all his hard work and a reflection of his character.”
As a result of his undeniable ability, the £1.5m-rated talent has already become a regular fixture in the Birmingham first team, having already made 18 Championship appearances for the club this season, over which he has scored one goal, registered one assist and created two big chances for his teammates.
As such, while it may be slightly premature to compare Hall to a player who has already scored 19 goals and provided 21 assists over 112 appearances for Borussia Dortmund, considering the fact that Bellingham only managed to notch four goals and provide two assists over his 44 outings for the Blues, the duos’ returns for the Championship side are not all that dissimilar.
So, it would indeed appear advisable for Orta to do everything in his power to get a deal over the line for Hall this January, as the 18-year-old could well develop into the next £215m-rated talent to have come out of Birmingham – something that will undoubtedly be an incredibly tantalising thought for all involved with the Whites, not least Jesse Marsch himself.