Fabrizio Romano confirms £500k transfer of Preston North End, Coventry, Oxford and Sheffield United target
A long running Preston North End transfer saga is coming to an end as one of their targets heads to League One.
Birmingham City are closing in on the signing of former Preston North End transfer target Marc Leonard, it has been confirmed.
Leonard for the last 18 months has been strongly linked with a move to Deepdale, but a move this summer wasn't expected to materialise. In June, the LEP reported that talks did take place over a possible deal, but wages were a sticking point, and as a result a deal could not be agreed.
The 22-year-old now looks set to remain in League One with Fabrizio Romano claiming that the deal is worth £500,000 along with add-ons. Leonard is now all but set to remain in League One, despite being linked to a handful of Championship clubs, such as Cardiff City, Coventry City, Oxford United, Swansea City, Portsmouth, Plymouth Argyle, and Sheffield United.
“That one is pretty close,” Davies admitted to our friends at ham-city/chris-davies-confirms-birmingham-city-signing-marc-leonard-brighton-blow-coventry-city-4715964 in a post-match press conference on Wednesday (July 24).
“That will be our eighth signing of the transfer window, it’s a huge volume of players already but we need more. It’s important we have depth for the games we’re going to play, it could be touching 60 games.
“That’s another good player. It starts with the character - are they hard working and can they fit into that ethos? Is he good on the ball and is he physical enough on the ball? He ticks all the boxes. He’s someone who’s young and ready to improve, he fits the profile of being on the way up."
Blues, who have already invested heavily in their squad this summer with all of their signings arriving for transfer fees are getting a player that swept up the awards at Northampton Town's end of season award night. Leonard got six assists and five goals for the Cobblers in a League One season in which he was ever present.