This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…
According to The Sun on Sunday (October 20, p65), Leeds United are interested in signing Aaron Hickey from Hearts.
The report also states that the 17-year-old left-back is also being tracked by Steven Gerrard’s Rangers.
Hickey appears to be a talented youngster, but his arrival could affect the development of another teenage talent already at Elland Road.
The defender has appeared eight times for the Edinburgh outfit in the league so far this term, and he’s very highly-regarded north of the border.
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Indeed, the Scot was included in the Guardian’s list of the 60 best young talents in the world, and he’s previously been targeted by Manchester City.
Leeds would undoubtedly have an exciting prospect on their hands if they managed to get him through the door, but where would that leave Leif Davis?
Davis’ development
Leeds already have a teenage left-back in their ranks that has attracted the attention of one of the biggest clubs in the country.
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Davis has impressed a number of supporters with his performances for the Whites when he has appeared, but he may find those chances harder to come by if Hickey arrives.
The defender has already seen his game time in his natural position limited as he’s sometimes been utilised as a centre-back.
If Hickey joins that may be a more permanent position for him going forward as the amount of depth at left-back would mean there simply isn’t enough room for Davis. That’s if you bring Gjanni Alioski and Barry Douglas into the equation too.
With the teenager’s natural position being at left-back this may not be a good thing for his development, as his diminutive stature means that he’s never really going to be a conventional centre-half, and he may only ever be effective in that role as a part of a back three.
That’s all well and good while Marcelo Bielsa is his manager as the Argentine does like to operate with three centre-backs from time to time, but it does him no favours in terms of his long-term development as it’s unlikely that many other managers will look at Davis as a viable option in that position due to his height.