Leeds United join two Championship rivals in race for rising star 'fully expected' to leave in new year

Leeds United are considering their options ahead of the January transfer window as they keep pushing to earn promotion to the Premier League at the end of the season. The new year is fast approaching and plenty of Championship teams will be looking to add to their squads and bolster their ranks.

As it stands, Daniel Farke and his team are third in the table on 31 points, eight adrift from leaders Leicester City and second-placed Ipswich Town. So there's plenty to play for and a lot of time left for the season's twists and turns to unfold, which is where the January window comes in very handy.

As well as experienced players, it seems the Whites are also considering young players who they can shape and mould to fit the system at Elland Road. One man who has recently appeared on the radar is a very interesting prospect who has a lot of interest following him around.

According to 90min, Leeds are interested in signing 17-year-old Sam Curtis from League of Ireland outfit St. Patrick's Athletic. The full-back made his debut at just 15 and has rapidly established himself as a key figure for his team.

Naturally, Leeds are not on their own in their monitoring of Curtis. Championship rivals Middlesbrough and Hull City are also on the Irishman's trail, but there are Premier League heavyweights lurking as well. The report says that Manchester City, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, and Manchester United are all keen on snapping up Curtis in the January window, while Celtic have also thrown their hat into the ring.

St Patrick's Athletic reportedly 'fully expect' their rising star to leave them in the League of Ireland off-season, which runs until February.

Of course, Leeds are up against some very convincing clubs who can offer Curtis very tempting deals once the January window opens. However, regular time on the pitch may play a more prominent role in swaying the 17-year-old, rather than money.