We might feel slightly disappointed with the club’s recruitment of senior players at the end of the transfer window, but the club’s youth development continues to go from strength to strength.
On Friday we had the news that Leeds have signed Italian under 16 international midfielder Dario Meadows on season-long loan from AS Roma, with the option to convert this move to a permanent transfer in 12 months time.
And on the same day we learned that left-back Tyler Denton had signed a new three year deal in the wake of his winning goal at Luton. Denton might get the chance to become a first team regular fairly soon, even though the club have managed to hang on to Charlie Taylor for the time being.
Another signing is 20-year-old midfielder Conor Shaughnessy, who has joined our Development Squad on a one-year deal after a successful trial period. He’s a Republic of Ireland international at youth level, which sounds good, although the fact he was released by Reading is a bit less impressive.
Meanwhile Ronaldo Vieira has committed himself to an extended period at the club by signing a new three-year contract, and has now been joined at Elland Road by his twin brother Romario, who is also a midfielder. Obviously their parents were big fans of the Brazil during the 1990s, even though they lived in Guinea-Bissau.
Ronaldo Vieira told the club’s official site "Me and my brother have played together for most of our lives — I’m happy to be sharing the same club with him again and I’m happy he’s been given the opportunity. He’ll keep working hard like he does in every training session on and off the pitch. Hopefully he’ll be able to break into the first team and carry on from there.”
And Romario said I’m delighted to sign my first professional contract with Leeds United. Having my brother here makes it even better — he’s doing well and has made a good start. We could probably play next to each other or fight for the same position — it depends what the gaffer wants. I want to keep working hard and, eventually, I hope to push towards the first team.”
Let’s hope that by the time this lot reach their mid-twenties we will have got back into the Premier League, so we don’t end up having to sell them all when their present contracts come to an end.