Leeds United are battling Scottish champions Celtic and other Premier League clubs in the race for 17-year-old South African star Luke Baartman, after breaking into Cape Town Spurs’ senior side.
Leeds are expected to be active in January despite bringing in a number of players in January. Using the loan market is more likely in the winter window, with a no.10 still likely to be a priority for Daniel Farke.
But continuing to add to the U21 side is also important. This Leeds side boasts players such as Pascal Struijk and Cree Summerville, who were bought from abroad when teenagers at bargain fees, now key.
That process has worked for Leeds. The Sun report that the next target could be Cape Town Spurs’ wonderkid Baartman, but Celtic are also keen – as are a number of unnamed Premier League sides.
He has played four times for Cape Town Spurs, who were owned by Ajax until 2020 – and sit bottom of South Africa’s top tier. He scored against Kaizer Chiefs on November 8. He is yet to start a senior game.
Leeds battling Celtic in race for South African ace Luke Baartman
The South Africa U17 talent has certainly caught the eye and Cape Town Spurs will have to accept a sale given they are hardly in a position to stop him going. It is unclear how long left he has on his contract.
The club’s technical director, Sean Connor, was recently quoted by Goal as saying that Baartman has huge quality and potential – but does not want the teenager to get ahead of himself. Clubs are keen.
“I don’t want to get too exuberant about him. He has great potential and has a great future, as long as he keeps working as hard as he can, just as he’s doing at the moment,” Connor said, about teen Baartman.
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