Darko Gyabi is quickly becoming integrated into the Leeds United squad in training.
That’s according to manager Jesse Marsch, who says that the quality the 18-year-old provides is already being noticed by everyone at the club.
While Leeds lost one midfielder to Manchester City this summer with Kalvin Phillips moving to the Etihad, they also gained one from the Premier League champions, in the form of Gyabi.
The teenager – who never made a senior appearance for City – joined Leeds for a reported £5million earlier this month, putting pen to paper on a four-year contract at Elland Road.
Gyabi recently made his maiden first-team appearance for Leeds, playing the second half of the friendly win over Brisbane Roar last week.
That saw the teenager produce an encouraging first display for his new club, and it seems there have been plenty left impressed by him behind the scenes as well recently.
Speaking about what he has seen from Gyabi in training while discussing his side’s new signings, Marsch told Leeds Live: “Darko Gyabi is also getting more and more integrated and he’s a young player.
“It’s not always easy for 18-year-olds to step right into a team but I think everybody sees his quality and his personality. So for right now, I feel really strong that the group has come together well.”
This does feel like an exciting insight into Gyabi for Marsch to deliver.
Given his lack of first-team experience at City, there may have been questions about the sort of role he would be playing at Leeds during the coming campaign.
However, if he is already making this sort of impression for Leeds in training then it could be argued that he will be able to stake a claim for a place in Marsch’s senior side this summer.
Having that extra option to turn to can only be a good thing given how they struggled for numbers in the centre of the park last season, so this could turn into a useful piece of business by the club.
Maybe in time he could become our new Phillips and in more time still we could sell him to City for 50million. Wouldn’t be the worst bit of business or even that unlikely.