FC Copenhagen and LAFC have emerged as the leading candidates to sign Marc Leonard from Brighton, despite plenty of interest in the midfielder from Football League clubs.
The 22-year-old joined Brighton in the summer of 2018, but he has struggled to get near the first-team at the Amex Stadium, with his game time in the past two years coming on loan at Northampton Town.
Leonard impressed with the Cobblers as they won promotion in the 2022/23 season, and he returned to Sixfields for the previous campaign, where he once again performed well.
Marc Leonard transfer latest
Now, Leonard is scheduled to return to Brighton, but despite the change in management at the Premier League side, it’s clear that he won’t be in their plans moving forward.
Therefore, Leonard is expected to leave, and it has been claimed that a host of clubs are tracking the player, with Wrexham, Birmingham and Oxford previously said to be in the mix for his signature.
Yet, in a fresh development, journalist Sacha Tavolieri has revealed that there is strong interest from overseas in Leonard, with Copenhagen and LAFC pushing to sign the £400,000 rated midfielder.
“Marc Leonard will definitely leave Brighton & Hove Albion this summer! LAFC and Copenhagen are the most interested clubs speaking regarding personal terms at the moment.
“Brighton asking 400K£ transfer fee, add ons included.”
Marc Leonard would be a good signing for Wrexham or Birmingham City
This is a shame for both Wrexham and Blues, as, on paper, Leonard would have been an outstanding addition to a League One club.
He is on the back of a brilliant individual season with Northampton, and, at 22, he is someone who still has plenty of room for improvement, so he could potentially become a very good player who is capable of featuring at a higher level.
That’s demonstrated by the fact he has interest from Copenhagen, a club who regularly compete in Europe, and LAFC, who are a good side in MLS.
That level of interest echoes the idea that Leonard is an exciting young player, and those clubs are also convinced that he is capable of making big strides in the years to come.
For Wrexham and Blues, it will be difficult to compete, but we don’t know the individual circumstances of the player, and he may not feel it’s the right time to move abroad, as that is obviously a major decision from a professional and personal aspect.
Wrexham and Birmingham City will be active this summer
It seems apparent that both Wrexham and Birmingham have big ambitions this summer, with the Welsh side having shown in the past that they will spend to improve where possible.
For Blues, it’s been suggested that Chris Davies will be given a budget that could be up to £20m, which is a huge amount for a third tier side, so they will be in the market for a certain quality of player.
So, it will be interesting to see who both clubs manage to bring in, during what will be a very busy few months.
