Plymouth Argyle seem to have fallen behind in the race to sign Brighton & Hove Albion’s Marc Leonard, with Alan Nixon reporting via his Patreon that Birmingham City have entered talks with the midfielder.
The Blues are set to be playing in England’s third tier for the first time since 1995 after their final day relegation from the Championship. After a positive start under manager John Eustace, the board decided to replace the now-Blackburn Rovers boss with Wayne Rooney, a move which would ultimately massively backfire.
They will be hoping for an early return to the Championship, but in what appears to be a highly competitive League One renewal, they will need to hire wisely if they hope to achieve that goal. Marc Leonard is a highly exciting prospect, and signing him would be a big move in the right direction.
Leonard has previously demonstrated his abilities and performed well at Sixfields, having played the whole 2023–2024 season on loan with Northampton Town. The 22-year-old, who started all 46 games and finished League One with a remarkable five goals and six assists, would take home numerous awards at the club’s end-of-season awards.
Given that he is now returning to Brighton and the Cobblers are priced out of a deal for the midfielder, it is a major loss for the team. But somebody else will win, and Leonard has already been tipped to take the step up to the Championship.
The Football Insider had earlier revealed that Plymouth, Preston North End, and Cardiff City had all expressed interest in the young player. With the possibility for the most starting minutes, a transfer to the latter might have been the most appealing. Moreover, the Pilgrims have a history of developing and advancing young talent, so it might have been a mutually beneficial decision.
Leonard is valued by Transfermarkt at approximately £400,000, so he wouldn’t exactly be inexpensive, but considering his play and the fact that he is currently very unpopular at his parent club, a summer transfer for first team football is required.
According to Alan Nixon, Birmingham wants to sign the 22-year-old as their first summer signing, and they currently appear to be the team who will most likely land him. The Blues are one of the more ambitious teams in League One and have the support of new ownership, so even if that would mean he would be playing in the third level once more, they will aim to return to the second division as soon as possible.
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