Leeds United dealt blow as Stoke City take contract action on in-demand talent | OneFootball

Stoke City have agreed a contract extension with Emre Tezgel, landing a blow to Leeds United who had been expressing an interest in him.

Stoke City are to tie teenage starlet Emre Tezgel to the club with a new two-year contract, and are looking to loan him out next season, according to reports.

Stoke have consistently underperformed in recent years, and finished last season in 18th place in the Championship, just two points above the relegation places.

But Tezgel is an outstanding talent who has attracted the interest of some very big clubs, and securing him to a longer-term contract will protect Stoke's future position over him.

Daily Telegraph journalist Mike McGrath has reported that England youth international striker, Tezgel, is putting pen to paper on a new two-year contract at Stoke City.

He also made note of Leeds United's reported interest in the young centre-forward, but also added something that may pique the interest of a number of clubs: Stoke will look to loan him out next season.

Still only 19 years of age, it seems unlikely that Leeds will want to take a young player on loan who's untried in the Premier League.

But the news that he could be available on loan could be of interest to other EFL clubs, who may be keen on giving him an opportunity to develop him further as a player.

Tezgel is an enormous talent, but has pledged his allegiance to his hometown club

There is little doubting Emre Tezgel's potential. He was just 16 years and 112 days old when he made his debut for Stoke in an FA Cup match against Leyton Orient in January 2022, becoming their youngest ever first-team player in doing so.

He has made 15 League appearances for the Potters since then and spent the second half of the 2023/24 season on loan in League One at MK Dons, where he made a further 17 appearances and scored three goals.

He's also been capped by England at Under-16, Under-18 and Under-20 level. He also scored 11 goals for Stoke in the Premier League 2 during the 2024/25 season.

That he should have attracted the interest of a club the size of Leeds United is no great surprise. Leeds need to strengthen this summer, ahead of their return to the Premier League, but all clubs have one eye on the future as well as the present, and Tezgel's progress has been on their radar for some time.

But having been born in Staffordshire and brought up through Stoke's academy, it is evident that the forward has decided that his best interests are best served by staying at the bet365 Stadium for now.

At 19 years of age, his development may be better served by going out to a lower division club to sharpen his skills rather than being swallowed by the machinery of a Premier League club.

And there is a silver lining for Leeds, as well as all the other clubs that have been keeping an eye on him: with a two-year contract agreed, he could yet be available on a free transfer at just 21 years of age in a couple of years' time.