Former Birmingham and Aston Villa manager Alex McLeish has claimed that Reading's Michael Olise will not be able to make the same impact as Pablo Hernandez if he joins Leeds United.

Olise has been heavily linked with Leeds, as well as several other top-flight clubs, ahead of the January transfer window, when he could reportedly be available for around £8million.

But while McLeish is in no doubt about the talent he possesses, it seems he believes the 19-year-old's relative lack of experience means he would struggle to make an immediate impact at Elland Road were he to make the move to Yorkshire.

Speaking to Football Insider about Leeds' reported interest in the Reading midfielder, McLeish said: “[Olise] certainly won’t have all the answers that Hernandez has got because he [Hernandez] is a proven professional who’s had a long, long time in the game. But Olise’s got great potential."

Despite that, McLeish does appear to feel as though Leeds may have to make a move for Olise from a financial perspective, even if it could present a risk for them in the table, with the former Nottingham Forest boss adding: “Of course, if you don’t have the money that the big guns have, then you should bring in young players. I was never afraid to bring young players and put them in the team.

"I did it at many of my clubs, I always knew they’d make mistakes but they should be allowed to make mistakes.

“But sometimes it can risk you being in the relegation zone, when you don’t have enough quality or nous in the team to be in the higher regions of the league.”

A graduate of Reading's academy, Olise has made a total of 48 appearances for the Royals' senior side, scoring four goals - all of which have come this season - and providing eight assists in that time.
The Verdict
I do agree with what McLeish is saying to some extent.
Olise has not exactly played a great deal of senior football during his career so far, meaning the step up to a level as high as the Premier League so soon might be difficult for him to make.
Even so, the way Olise has coped with the move into first-team football suggests he has the adaptability to make the step up to the top-flight, and thrive there in the years to come, even if it may take him a bit of time to settle there.
Indeed, with the quality and potential to improve he possesses, you do feel Leeds could still benefit from making a move for Olise in January, so they do not miss out on him to another club, something which could then come back to bite them further down the line.