Leeds United finally set to sign teenage star after pre-contract agreement
The 18-year-old defender has been spotted in Leeds United training kit.
Leeds United are set to sign teenage defender Leonard Ngenge after reaching a pre-contract agreement ahead of his 18th birthday.
Ngenge first emerged as a potential target for Leeds last year amid reports an agreement had been reached for him to join upon turning 18. The sporting director of his former club, Ikorodu City in Nigeria, then confirmed the news in March, telling All Nigerian Soccer in March: “Ngenge has an existing deal with Leeds United, it’s a pre-contract.
“By August he should be joining Leeds. 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 waiting for him to turn 18 years.”
Ngenge turned 18 in September but a month prior, signed for another Nigeria Professional Football League, Remo Stars, where he has played seven games across all competitions. On Wednesday morning, the centre-back posted an Instagram story of himself in what appeared to be a Thorp Arch dressing room wearing this season’s Leeds training gear and holding a pair of boots.
The YEP understands Ngenge is set to formally sign as a Leeds player with an announcement expected in the near future. It is likely the 18-year-old will join up with Scott Gardner’s Under-21s squad initially as he becomes accustomed to life in England, although he has senior experience playing for Ikorodu City and Remo Stars in his native Nigeria.
The young Whites already have the likes of Jacob Howard, Reuben Lopata-White and Louis Enahoro-Marcus in central defence. Thirty-seven-year-old Jonny Howson also plays at centre-back, having joined in the summer to take on a player-coach role with the academy set up.