Defender set to sign for Leeds United - Agreement has been reached | OneFootball

Leonard Ngenge looks set to join the Whites this summer

Young Nigerian defender Leonard Ngenge is set to join Championship promotion hopefuls Leeds United in the summer, after he reportedly signed a pre-contract agreement with the Whites to join the club ahead of next season.

Leeds are top of the second-tier with 10 games of the campaign left, as it stands, and while Daniel Farke is focusing on the huge task at hand to secure automatic promotion, the club look to be working behind the scenes to add fresh faces to his squad for 2025/26.

Reported target Ngenge is currently 17-years-old and plies his trade in the Nigeria Football Premier League, so whether he will be fast-tracked straight into his first-team for next season remains to be seen, but it certainly looks as if he is set to become a Leeds player in some capacity soon.

Leeds agree pre-contract deal for Leonard Ngenge

The Whites were first linked with a move for Ikorodu City centre-back Ngenge by reporter Alan Nixon back in September, who claimed that they were interested in signing the player after a successful trial at the club last summer, but would have to wait until he was 18 to do the deal due to FIFA's eligibility rules.

Nixon also claimed that Leeds were in competition with Hammarby IF for his signature, but it looks as if the Championship side have now stolen a march on their Swedish rivals after new reports from Soccernet.

They state that Ngenge is set to join the Elland Road club in August, after a pre-contract agreement was signed for him to move in the summer when he has turned 18.

Soccernet also report that he is expected to initially integrate with their under-18 squad, before gradually progressing to the under-21s and then possibly to the first-team in either the Premier League or the Championship. Leeds under-18s currently sit bottom of their respective youth league, while the under-21s are 15th in the Premier League 2.

Sporting director confirms Leeds move for Ngenge

Leeds are clearly planning for the future with the signing of Ngenge, who has impressed in the NPFL with a goal and an assist each in 18 appearances so far this season despite his tender age.

The Nigerian youngster has already been able to visit Leeds' Thorp Arch training ground as he prepares for his summer move, and even posed in their shirt on his Instagram page, and Ikorodu City sporting director Wale Quadri has also moved to back-up claims that he will join the West Yorkshire club ahead of next term.

"Ngenge has an existing deal with Leeds United, it's a pre-contract. By August he should be joining Leeds," Quadri told AllNigeriaSoccer.

"He was scouted in Nigeria and then invited to Leeds for further training. He came back like two weeks ago from Leeds. That should be his second visit to Leeds.

"He is being signed as a player for the future, they are just waiting for him to turn 18 years old."

It is clear that a move is set to happen, but Ngenge will now have to wait and see whether his new side's first-team are in the top-flight or second-tier for 2025/26. He could fancy his chances of a first-team breakthrough next season if it is the latter, but will likely have less chance if the club is back in the Premier League.