Leeds United should look to loan midfielder Alfie McCalmont to Peterborough United for next season.

That's according to the Yorkshire club's former striker Noel Whelan, who believes the 21-year-old could make an impact for Posh next season.

McCalmont has spent this season on loan in League Two with Oldham Athletic, where he has scored eight goals and provided five assists in 35 league appearances for the Latics.

Recent reports have claimed that Leeds will now look to loan the Northern Irishman to a League One side next season, to test him even further.

Whelan however, believes that McCalmont can go beyond League One and into the Championship during the 2021/22 campaign.

The pundit has now identified Peterborough, who themselves have won promotion to the Championship from League One this season, as a potential club for McCalmont to do that with.

Speaking to Football Insider about a potential loan destination for the midfielder next season, Whelan said: “Well, that depends if anyone’s interested in the Championship. Obviously if you ask a player, that is where they’d want to be.

"If they’re not in the Premier League and going out on loan, it’s better competition. Better players you’re up against and playing with.

“If you ask Alfie McCalmont, he’d probably say that he can cut it in the Championship. I’m sure he could.

"It’s whether any teams are willing to take him on board. Now there might be a Peterborough willing to take him on or one of the promoted sides from League One."

The Verdict

I could see this being something that could make sense for those concerned.

If McCalmont was to spend next season in League One, then there may be an expectation he would subsequently need to spend a year in the Championship in 2022/23, meaning he would be waiting a long time for a Premier League opportunity at Leeds.

However, spending time in the Championship in 2021/22, would at least open up the prospect of him getting a chance in the Premier League in 2022/23, which may be better for both him and Leeds.

For Peterborough as well, this could be a decent deal, given McCalmont is someone who clearly has the potential to make an impact further up the pyramid, and his attacking threat from midfield could help Posh as they look to re-establish themselves in the second-tier, where they will want plenty of sources of goals to help them do that.