Leeds United have a handful of names on their transfer radar ahead of January. For one of them, moving to Elland Road would mark an incredible chapter in a likewise story.
Daniel Farke has already revealed that Leeds United will be quiet in the January transfer window, playing down the chances of the Whites doing much business at all.
But there’s still a couple of names being linked with winter moves to Elland Road as well as one or two being tipped to leave the club as well.
Striker Joe Gelhardt may have played his last game for Leeds amid his current exile in the first-team, with interest from QPR ahead of January too.
Meanwhile, it’s expected that Patrick Bamford will be allowed to leave Leeds United in January should the right offer come along, though whether or not anyone will be able to afford his wages remains to be seen.
One name linked with a move to Leeds ahead of January though is Keelan Adams; Falkirk’s flying full-back who almost didn’t become a footballer.
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Keelan Adams can still have ’15 years of top football’ ahead of him’
Adams, 23, only made his first-team debut for Falkirk in the 2022/23 season, then making his league debut for the club during the 2023/24 season in which the right-back scored six and assisted four more in 33 Lowland League games for Falkirk.
He’s now featured 17 times in the Scottish Championship this season and has three goals and three assists, with interest from Rangers and Leeds United ahead of January.
Speaking to The Falkirk Herald about Adams’ future back in November, manager John McGlynn said: “Keelan could be anything, absolutely anything. He’s obviously been a late developer. He’s 22 and probably has 15 years of top football ahead of him.
“He is a level-headed boy, educated. He has got all the attributes to go higher. It was a twofold deal for us and for him, absolutely.
“It is a reward for Keelan and obviously helping protect ourselves. Somebody could come in for him in January and offer us a pittance.”
Adams is now under contract at Falkirk until 2026 and so the Scottish club don’t necessarily have to sell him in January, amid interest from Rangers and Leeds.
McGlynn added: “Once you get into the summer and you’ve only got a year left in your contract and you’re counting down, nine, ten months, it can become worthless.
“So we have given ourselves a little bit more protection and if the club was to be successful and Keelan was to continue to do well then there is no reason you don’t look to extend it again.”
Keelan Adams almost didn’t become a footballer
For Adams, what’s spectacular about his story so far is that it almost never happened. He gained a degree in history and politics before signing for Falkirk, after he refused to pay a £50 fee to apply for a law conversion degree
Speaking to The Sun, Adams explained: “The week before I went on trial, I nearly applied to go back to uni to do a law conversion, and I nearly applied for a couple of masters.
“Law would have been another three years at uni. I didn’t actually apply in the end.
“It was £50 to apply on the UCAS site. I was like, ‘I’m not applying for that, it’s £50. I’m just going to sign for Falkirk instead’!”
For Adams then, who almost didn’t go to university and then was playing third tier Scottish football just last season, a move to Leeds United on January would mark a whirlwind few years for the full-back, who’s certainly making an impression north or the border.
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