Hull City are keen on midfielder Marc Leonard, who has just completed his second loan spell at Northampton Town, according to Football Insider.
The 22-year-old has enjoyed a stellar campaign at the Cobblers, whom he re-joined last July on his second season-long deal. With 11 goal contributions in 49 appearances in all competitions, the former Scotland under-21 international signed off at Sixfields by winning the club’s Player of the Season and Players’ Player of the Season.
Leonard penned a new deal at Brighton & Hove Albion before his move to the League One outfit. However, the Seagulls are said to be keen to cash in this summer.
Portsmouth have been previously linked with the player, although their promotion to the Championship is said to have ended their interest. It is believed that Pompey are not convinced he is ready to take the step up to the second tier, although it appears that this view is not shared by others.
According to reports, Hull City are keen to recruit the playmaker, who would be available for a potential bargain fee of £300,000. The Tigers aren’t the only interested party though, with Sheffield United also in the race.
The Blades are looking to add fresh talent to their squad after suffering immediate relegation from the Premier League. They were promoted to the top tier last season as runners-up but have endured a torrid campaign.
Aside from the named duo, Cardiff City, Preston North End and Plymouth Argyle are also linked. However, Northampton boss Jon Brady believes that Scottish giants Rangers and Celtic should be looking at bringing Leonard to Glasgow this summer. Speaking to Record Sport, the 49-year-old said:
“I feel for the here and now and for the longer term I would say Marc Leonard is one that both Rangers and Celtic should be looking at. I know both teams have a lot of talent in the midfield but Marc is an outstanding young Scottish player. I believe he can go all the way to the top and if Rangers or Celtic were to come in for him then I feel he has the talent to flourish for either side.”
Brady did confirm there is Championship interest in the loanee, admitting that he is now too good for League One:
“He is beyond us now and rightly so. There is a lot of interest in him from the English Championship.
“Certainly with the ability he has, for me, he has to be testing himself, at least in the Championship. He would be a huge asset to any team in that league.
“The improvement in him has been scary. He came as a very good technical player but now he has gone up so many levels. “He has risen to every challenge we gave him and in the end, he was just grabbing games by the scruff of the neck and being a real difference maker. He came as a young player but has left Northampton as a man.”
Writer’s View
The Championship seems the most likely scenario for Leonard, who has started to work his way up the leagues. He helped Northampton achieve promotion from League Two before playing a pivotal role in cementing their place in League One this season. The second tier appears to the next step.
The midfielder was on the books of Rangers as a youngster and it will be interesting to see if either them or Celtic express an interest. He is more than capable of playing in the Scottish Premiership, although whether he is ready to take the step up to a club playing in Europe is another matter altogether.
Head of Writing
