Leeds: 31 y/o target could be a dream Archie Gray mentor
The Whites are reportedly looking to bolster their options in the youngster’s position.
An update has emerged on Leeds United and their plans to add to their midfield options before the end of the summer transfer window.
What’s the latest Leeds transfer news?
According to TEAMtalk, the Whites are eyeing up a swoop to sign Nottingham Forest central midfielder Jonjo Shelvey before next month’s deadline passes.
The report claims that the Yorkshire-based outfit have asked about a possible deal for the former England international and are weighing up an approach for his services.
It states that Steve Cooper is open to parting ways with the former Liverpool maestro despite the fact that he only joined the club on a permanent move from Newcastle United in January of this year.
Leeds are said to be exploring a move for the midfield maestro and it remains to be seen whether they would be willing to bring him in on a loan or permanent basis.
How good is Jonjo Shelvey?
The 31-year-old ace is a proven Premier League performer who could use his experience to be a vital asset to Daniel Farke’s side on and off the pitch.
Shelvey has made 278 top-flight appearances throughout his career and has been capped six times by England, which shows that he knows what it takes to deliver at the top level, and he could be the perfect mentor for Archie Gray.
The ex-Swansea star, who was once described as a “Rolls-Royce” by Toon teammate Isaac Hayden, only played 11 league games last term, but his form during the 2021/22 campaign shows that he does have the ability to be an excellent option in midfield.
He averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.93 across 24 Premier League matches for Newcastle.
The £75k-per-week machine also averaged 2.2 tackles and interceptions and completed 4.9 long passes per outing for the Magpies that season.
Rodrigo (6.95) and Tyler Adams (6.98) were the only Leeds players with at least five appearances to average a higher Sofascore rating than 6.93 for the club last season, which illustrates how good Shelvey could be for Farke.
Gray, who only turned 17 in March, has started all three Championship matches this term and struggled in midfield, with an average Sofascore rating of 6.50 – the 17th best within the squad – and a duel success rate of 32% so far.
The teenage talent has completed 81% of his attempted passes and failed to attempt a single long pass, whilst he has also made two tackles and interceptions per game, as per Sofascore.
Shelvey, who completed 81% of his passes during the 2021/22 Premier League campaign, could, therefore, come in as a big upgrade on the 17-year-old gem as his performances at a higher level were more impressive than what the academy product is currently producing.
However, that does not have to be a slight on Gray, as he should not be expected to be the finished article at such a young age.
Instead, Shelvey could be the perfect short-term addition for Farke to be a key player on the pitch this season whilst mentoring the teenage gem and helping him to grow and develop over the course of the campaign.
Hopefully, this would then allow Gray to learn from the experienced wizard in order to continue his development without having the expectation of needing to immediately be a star on the pitch this term.
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