Leeds Could Land “Outstanding” £9m Ayling Heir

Leeds United are setting up for a transformative summer with the 49ers takeover completed and the new owners keen to quickly fix the many issues at Elland Road to ensure a rapid return to Premier League football.

The Whites are still without a manager and a sporting director at present which will be an increasingly pressing concern for the club as they need to invest as much time as they can into rebuilding the squad, especially with a number of departures expected after suffering relegation last month.

Leeds are keen on a number of managerial candidates including Scott Parker, Brendan Rodgers, Daniel Farke, Steven Gerrard and Carlos Corberan, but are yet to put a foot firmly forward for one of them as they continue to deliberate.

Whilst the new manager will likely play a huge part in the recruitment over the summer transfer window, the lack of a leading figure has not stopped Leeds from being linked with a number of players who could become part of the new chapter at Elland Road.

One player who was linked to a move to West Yorkshire last week is Fenerbahce ace Bright Osayi-Samuel; a versatile talent who could become a huge asset to the club in their Championship campaign next season.

Who is Bright Osayi-Samuel?

The 25-year-old talent is no stranger to the second tier after rising through the ranks of Blackpool’s youth academy before making the move to Queens Park Rangers where he spent four years.

Now, Osayi-Samuel is plying his trade in the Süper Lig with Fenerbahce where they finished second this season and just yesterday the Istanbul-based club won the Turkish League Cup.

The Nigeria international has a wealth of experience on the right flank – whether that be right midfield, right-back or right wing – offering huge flexibility in positioning which could be massively beneficial to the next Leeds manager when setting up his team over a very long Championship campaign and ensuring there is enough depth in key positions.

Not only that, the 25-year-old whiz – who has a reported price tag of €10m (£9m) – could be the ideal heir for Luke Ayling if he can step into the 31-year-old’s shoes comfortably in the deeper right-sided position.

A need for a long-term replacement for Ayling is a real priority as the Englishman “just isn’t good enough” – according to journalist Tomi Oladipo – with the former Bristol City dud having recorded an average match rating of just 6.60 in 2022/23, according to Sofascore, ranking him 20th among the current Leeds squad.

Over 23 league appearances, Osayi-Samuel – by contrast – has shown glimpses of his talent, despite limited game time, with an 85% pass completion rate and the majority of his duels won (51%), as well as averaging 39.4 touches and 20.2 accurate passes per game.

Before heading to Turkey, the Nigerian was the subject of high praise from his former QPR manager Mark Warburton, who highlighted some of the player’s assets following a strong performance against Cardiff City:

“He was outstanding. He’s got that sheer pace which terrifies defenders and when he uses it wisely like he did today he looks a real handful.”

With that being said, an opportunity to return to England will surely be an attractive prospect for Osayi-Samuel and if Leeds can secure a cheap deal this summer there is no reason why he could be a valuable squad member next season, providing competition for Ayling next season and potentially developing into his successor.