Leeds United and West Ham are both interested in signing young Ipswich centre back Elkan Baggott, a report from Football Insider has claimed.

Baggott joined Ipswich on a two-year scholarship deal back in 2019, and has already been capped at Under 19 level by Indonesia, who he is eligible to represent through his Indonesian mother.

The centre back made his senior debut for the Tractor Boys back in October during their 2-0 win over Gillingham back in October, but it already seems as though he could be on the move sooner rather than later.

According to this latest update, Baggott has turned down the offer of a professional contract at Ipswich, something which appears to have alerted a number of clubs further up the football pyramid to his availability.

It is thought that both Leeds and West Ham are interested in a deal for the teenager, following news of his contract situation at Portman Road.

As a result, there could now be something of a battle on the cards as both look to win the race for his signature.

Leeds in particular are short of numbers at centre back, with Liam Cooper, Robin Koch and Diego Llorente all suffering injuries this season.

The Verdict

This certainly looks as though it could be a decent deal for one of these two Premier League sides if they can pull it off.

Admittedly, a step-up to the Premier League would be a big one for Baggott to make given his age and lack of experience, so it is hard to really suggest that he might be a replacement at the back for Leeds this season.

However, Baggott certainly seems to be a player who possesses a great deal of potential, meaning he could be a player who improves with age, so he could certainly be an asset for one of these clubs in the future.

Consequentially, you do feel there will be something of a battle on for the defender's signing here, given they are not going to want to miss out on him at a time when he is could be available for a price that is relatively affordable at this moment in time.