Cardiff City are set to battle it out with Championship rivals Preston North End and Plymouth Argyle for the signature of Brighton & Hove midfielder Marc Leonard, according to Football Insider.
The 22-year-old has spent the last two seasons on loan at Northampton Town, helping them secure promotion from League Two last year. With his initial season-long deal at Sixfields having been a major success, the former Scotland under-21 international penned a new two-year deal at Brighton before rejoining Jon Brady’s team last summer for an additional year.
Expected to struggle in the third tier, Northampton have given themselves a platform to build on next season and look set for a comfortable mid-table finish. They have arguably overperformed at times and briefly flirted with the play-off places at the turn of the year.
Leonard has been a key component of the team, pitching in with five goals and six assists whilst also starting all 45 league games. His form earned him the club’s Player of the Season award, where he picked up a staggering 80% of the public vote.
His final outing for the Cobblers is expected to come in Saturday’s trip to Barnsley when he will then return to his parent club on the south coast. From here, journalist Pete O’Rourke claims that the Seagulls will sanction the playmaker’s permanent exit.
It is stated that the Premier League outfit are willing to accept offers of around £300,000 and a host of Championship clubs are lining up for his signature. This includes Cardiff, who are looking to bolster their squad ahead of a potential play-off push next season.
The Bluebirds have found themselves in the conversation for a top six finish at times throughout the last few months. However, they have firmly settled into 11th in recent weeks.
Plymouth and Preston are also in the hunt as they too look to add quality into the centre of the park, whilst FA Cup semi-finalists Coventry City have been linked in the past.
Cardiff will finish the campaign with the visit of Middlesbrough on Saturday before making the trip to already relegated Rotherham United.
Writer’s View
This seems a natural progression for Marc Leonard. Having excelled at League One and Two level over the past two years, it makes sense to now have a shot at the Championship. However, Brighton may reconsider and decide another temporary spell may be wise to see how he cuts it in the second tier.
With a year remaining on his existing deal, a permanent exit could be on the cards, although the Seagulls do have an option to extend by an additional 12 months. £300,000 seems a steal for a player who looks to be on a constant rise. It’s no surprise to see clubs beginning to line up.
