Championship side Huddersfield Town have rejected Leeds United's opening offer for 22-year-old Lewis O'Brien, according to Football Insider.

The midfielder has been subject of considerable interest by Marcelo Bielsa's side this summer as they aim to bolster this midfield and despite the player's elevated role as vice-captain at the John Smith's Stadium, he is reported to be interested in a move to the Terriers' Yorkshire rivals.

At this stage, the second-tier outfit have placed a hefty £10m valuation on O'Brien, with the 22-year-old becoming a key part of Huddersfield's first team over the past couple of seasons and has stood out as a top Championship midfielder despite their 20th-place finish last term.

 

 

Before establishing himself as a key figure for Carlos Corberan's men, he enjoyed a full season of football on loan at then-League One outfit Bradford City during the 2018/19 campaign and could potentially make a move to another club in the county this summer, if the Whites cough up the money needed to lure him away from the Terriers.

After Conor Gallagher's decision to join Crystal Palace over Leeds, O'Brien may now be their top target as Bielsa looks to provide competition to the likes of England international Kalvin Phillips and 31-year-old Mateusz Klich in the middle of the park.

But even though O'Brien's contract expires next summer, they have the option of triggering a further one-year extension and could hold out for the eight-figure fee they crave.

The Verdict:

Leeds United may have suffered an initial setback in this pursuit of Lewis O'Brien, but after missing out on former West Brom loanee Gallagher, they may decide to launch one or two follow-up offers to secure this deal.

With Bielsa's side desperate to add strength in depth to their midfield and just a few weeks left to get any remaining deals over the line, a continued pursuit of the 22-year-old would make sense.

The likes of Phillips and Klich may initially start ahead of the Huddersfield Town man, but this could be a good thing for the player who will then be able to adapt to the Argentine manager's style of play instead of being thrown in the deep end.

And for Leeds United, he would be a solid squad player to have in their ranks. Considering Klich is one of the Whites' more senior figures at Elland Road, they could see O'Brien as a long-term replacement for the Polish international.

Huddersfield would get a tidy sum of cash in return for his departure, but they will inevitably be hoping to retain his services beyond the end of August.