Tottenham and Newcastle United 'eye' EFL wonderkid ahead of summer transfer window

Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with a move for Leeds United wonderkid Ollie Pickles, according to a recent report from TalkSPORT.

As well as Spurs, Newcastle United are also believed to be interested in a transfer move for the 16-year-old - the Toon could provide stern competition, given their vast swathes of financial resources. As he has yet to sign a professional contract, however, he could leave Leeds for a nominal fee.

Pickles is very highly-rated by the coaching staff at Leeds - should he remain at Elland Road, he is expected to be 'fast-tracked' to the senior squad.

He isn't the only top talent to emerge from Leeds' academy in recent years. They have also produced the likes of Archie Gray and Finley Gorman - the latter of which was snapped up by Manchester City. Leeds are currently gunning for promotion back to the Premier League - should they achieve this, it could complicate a move to Spurs for Pickles.

So far this season, Pickles has made 11 appearances in the U18 Premier League and has played in three FA Youth Cup games. As things stand, he has yet to make his senior team debut for the Whites.

What would Ollie Pickles bring to Tottenham?

A composed passer of the ball from the heart of midfield, Pickles obviously isn't ready for Spurs' first team at the moment at the age of just 16. However, he could be valuable asset to have in the not-too distant future.

Tottenham have plenty of quality central midfielders in their squad, such as Yves Bissouma, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Rodrigo Bentancur. If one of them should leave the squad at some point, Pickles would be able to take their place - perhaps even on a permanent basis. With his young age, though, this is all merely hypothetical.