‘Three-year contract’ - Leeds United reportedly sign 51-goal starlet ‘ahead’ of Sheffield United & Celtic

Leeds United have agreed a three-year contract with Aberdeen starlet Lewis Pirie with the Whites set to pay £200k for the youngster, according to a report.

The 16-year-old has been a player in demand after scoring an impressive 51 goals for club and country last season.

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reports Leeds have now agreed a fee with Aberdeen with the player set to join Leeds on a contract until 2026.

After an impressive campaign in the Aberdeen youth set-up, the player had reportedly been attracting interest from Celtic, Sheffield United and Crystal Palace.

Aberdeen were said to have offered Pirie a professional deal, which he would have been able to sign once he turned 17 in January. The club were only due training compensation from Leeds but the Whites have now agreed a fee as well as add-ons for the player, as reported by the Daily Record earlier this week.

Dons manager Barry Robson was keen to keep hold of Pirie, who is a Scotland youth international. Brighton had also kept a ‘close eye’ on the player according to The Star but Leeds look set to win the race for his signature.

Pirie was linked with Sheffield United in January but their plans to sign the player were scuppered by a transfer embargo imposed on the club, with Leeds now swooping in.

The Whites have looked to bolster their academy with top talent in recent seasons, with the likes of Sonny Perkins, Mateo Joseph and Diogo Monteiro joining the club’s Under-21s side during the last number of transfer windows.

Per the Daily Record in Scotland, Leeds are also said to be close to a deal for Hamilton teenager Joshua McDonald having previously looked to Scotland for academy transfers, after they signed Stuart McKinstry from Motherwell back in 2019.

The winger failed to establish his place with the club, however, and was one of four players released at the end of the 2022-23 campaign. He spent last season on loan at Motherwell, making 18 Scottish Premiership appearances and scoring four goals.