Leeds United academy graduate set for Premier League move after rejecting deal
Leeds United have been linked with interest in the full-back on several occasions over the last 12 months
Former Leeds United man Charlie Taylor looks set to join up with Premier League new boys Southampton this summer. Taylor is approaching the end of his contract with Burnley, where he has been since leaving Elland Road in 2017, and he has been offered a new deal to stay with the club in the Championship.
However, he looks set to turn that deal down after being offered a quick return to the top flight by Russell Martin's side. According to David Anderson of the Mirror, the full-back looks set to sign a two-year deal with the Saints next week, when he will officially become a free agent.
The move will see Taylor compete for a spot at left-back with Ryan Manning, who joined Southampton over Leeds last summer, and Juan Larios. As such, if the report is accurate, the Yorkshireman will be keen to impress over pre-season at St Mary's as he gears up for yet another season of Premier League football.
Taylor has reportedly been a target for Leeds over the last 12 months with the Whites being linked with a move for him last summer and in January. However, a return to Elland Road never materialised for the 30-year-old, who made 30 appearances for the Clarets last season, bagging a goal and an assist in the Premier League. Leeds will have to look elsewhere in their pursuit of a left-back this summer, it seems, with United expected to add to their defensive ranks over the coming months.
Taylor started his career at Elland Road, joining the club's academy as a schoolboy and working his way up through the ranks to the first-team fold. He made his senior debut for the club in 2011, as a 17-year-old, before picking up valuable experience on loan at York City, Bradford City, Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Fleetwood Town.
The left-back became a regular at Elland Road under the guidance of Neil Redfearn and went on to become a crowd favourite at the club over the next two seasons, racking up 104 outings and three goals for the club. That was before his move to Burnley, which became messy as he refused to play and by his own admissions Taylor wishes his farewell had gone differently.
"As a youngster growing up, all I ever wanted to do was play for Leeds. That was my dream," he said about the manner of his exit. "I loved my time there, but the way it ended was the biggest regret of my career and, if I could go back and change it, I would.
"I don't have any regrets about signing for Burnley because I think I was proved right in the way things have worked out for me. I made the decision with my head rather than my heart because I didn't know whether I'd get the chance again to play in the Premier League.
"I still live over that way and I get plenty of stick when I'm out in town, but I am still a Leeds fan and I'd love to go back there next season to play them in the Premier League, I really would."
The deal comes as a blow for Burnley, who are currently seen as Leeds’ main competition for the Championship title this season.