Carlton Palmer believes a former Derby County academy starlet could join Leeds United but only if they are promoted to the Premier League, according to a recent report. The Whites head into this international break on the back of a win, beating QPR 2-0 after suffering a disappointing defeat to Millwall last week.
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Leeds transfer news
The January transfer window is not that far away from opening now, and given that Leeds and Daniel Farke will have aims of reaching the Premier League, it may be a useful time for them to add to their squad.
Defence, especially left-back, looks to be a position that the Whites want to address, as they have been linked with a move for Sunderland’s Dennis Cirkin this week. The Yorkshire side are keeping tabs on the defender ahead of January, as they weigh up the possibility of making a move for one of their promotion rivals’ best players.
As well as looking at Cirkin, it also emerged that Leeds are in the race to sign Archie Brown from KAA Gent. Again, the club is keeping an eye on the defender but have strong competition, as Premier League teams such as Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham, Brentford, and Fulham are all interested in signing the former Derby County man.
Speaking to Football League World, Palmer believes Archie Brown would join Leeds if they get promoted to the Premier League. The 22-year-old started his football career in Derby’s academy, playing for their under-18s and under-23s. In 2021, he left the Rams to join Lausanne-Sport, without playing a game in the first team, and from there he has since joined KAA Gent.
Brown has impressed this season, scoring one goal and grabbing two assists in 14 Jupiler Pro League games, form that has put him on the radar of a host of clubs in England.
Palmer believes Leeds can sign Brown, but only as long as they win promotion to the top flight this season: “Leeds United, Tottenham Hotspur, and West Ham United are among the clubs reportedly interested in Gent defender Archie Brown. This is not the first time Leeds United have been interested in Archie Brown. The 22-year-old left England in 2021 after coming through the ranks at Derby County.
“He sought pastures new, starting in Switzerland with Lausanne-Sport. He swapped Switzerland for Belgium last year, joining Gent, and he’s seen his career go from strength-to-strength. He’s played that well, he’s been rewarded with an England youth debut in the summer, and he’s attracting a lot of attention.
“The problem that Leeds United will have is that they’ll have to be in the Premier League to get him, so it’s unlikely that they’ll get him in the January transfer window, especially with the likes of Tottenham and West Ham credited with an interest, as well as Chelsea and Brentford. Leeds went after him in 2023 and were unable to get him, so they are big admirers of the defender, but it’s thought that they will have to be in the Premier League to get his signature.
“But, if the player is sensible, even if you want to go and play in a Premier League side, you look at the type of clubs interested in signing you, and you have to wonder whether you’ll go straight into the side and play, so Leeds could well be in the race.
“It would be a coup for them if they could pull it off, and the fact that they could offer him first-team football now and the way they’re going now, they will hopefully see it over the line and get promotion. He’ll have more chance of playing in Leeds United’s first team than he would with Tottenham, West Ham, and Chelsea. As a young player he’s already had that where he’s not playing regularly, and that’s why he went to Switzerland and Belgium, so it would be a massive coup for Leeds United, but we’ll have to wait and see.”
