Noel Whelan believes that Reading's Michael Olise could benefit from joining Leeds United ahead of rival Premier League interest.

The attacking midfielder has established himself as one of the brightest prospects in the Championship with his performances for the Royals as they look to push for promotion.

Such displays have caught the eye though, with a host of clubs thought to be monitoring the 19-year-old, and it's been suggested the Whites could trigger an £8m release clause to sign the youngster.

However, they won't have a straight run at Olise, with Liverpool and Spurs also said to be keen.

Yet, despite the stature of those two clubs, Whelan told Football Insider that moving to Elland Road could be the best move for Olise.

"You look at the style of play, the way we bring young players through. The fact that we’ve got a great team ethic, relationship and bond between the players, you can see that. Why would you not want to?

"It’s about the progression of his career. Right now, I think even if you had two, three years at Leeds United, that will be beneficial to him."

The verdict

It shouldn't really be a surprise that the former Leeds United player is talking up the club, but he does have a point.

Olise needs to think about his development, and the club he joins next, if he does move, need to offer him a pathway to the first-team.

That's clearly the case at Leeds, whereas he may struggle to get near the first XI at Spurs and Liverpool. So, he does have a big decision to make, but Reading will still be confident they can keep hold of the talented player, although they may have to win promotion to do that.

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