Yorkshire club in talks to sign West Brom forward on permanent basis – report
Sheffield Wednesday are in talks over a permanent deal for West Brom forward Jonathan Leko, according to YorkshireLive.
The website notes that reports have emerged about the Owls singing Leko, 21, on loan from the Baggies but it is understood that the Yorkshire club’s actually interested in signing the England Under-20 international on a full-time basis.
The Telegraph reported earlier this month that Leko is one of a number of players who West Brom are willing to sell this summer in order to trim down the size of the squad and raise funds for incomings.
It remains to be seen how much Albion will get from selling Leko to Sheffield Wednesday but transfermarkt says that the DR Congo-born forward is worth £1.17million.
We would be disappointed if that’s all West Brom get for Leko.
The 21-year-old is in the final year of his contract at The Hawthorns but he lit up The Valley last season during his loan spell at Charlton.
He scored five goals and supplied four assists in 21 league appearances for the Addicks before his season was cruelly cut short due to a serious knee injury.
Sam Field also joined Charlton on loan last summer and speaking in February, Slaven Bilic was quoted by the Express & Star as saying he was impressed with the two players’ loan spells in London: “They made an impact on this season. They showed they can do the job. They put a bit of a mark on their name, which for a young player is important.”
Had Leko avoided injury and completed the season with Charlton, he could be in a very different situation than what he is now with a serious knee injury bound to affect the development of the young forward.
Leko’s played 23 times in the West Brom first-team but based on this interest from Sheffield Wednesday, it seems he might not be able to add to that tally.
In other West Brom news, Bilic has identified his top target for this transfer window.
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