Leeds United chasing Stoke City star once tracked by Man United and Chelsea | OneFootball

Emre Tezgel is on the Whites' radar as he nears a Potters exit

Highly-rated Stoke City striker Emre Tezgel is being eyed up by Leeds United as he nears a Potters exit with no new contract agreed and his deal set to expire at the end of next month, according to a new report.

Burton-born Tezgel has been highly rated for a number of years as an academy striker, and became the youngest player to ever play for Stoke when he made his senior debut in January 2022 at 16 years and 112 days old.

His progress has been stunted in the years that have followed, however, amid injury issues and a reluctance from numerous managers to give him first-team chances while the Potters have struggled in the Championship over the last few years.

Now 19-years-old, he is rapidly approaching the end of his current Stoke contract, with no new agreement reached following a season of limited opportunities. Newly-promoted Premier League side Leeds are reportedly among the teams interested in securing his services for a small compensation fee.

Leeds plot Emre Tezgel offer amid struggling Stoke contract negotations

Tezgel's standout youth team form at Stoke saw him tracked by the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea in 2021 before he had even made an appearance for the Potters' senior side.

His first-team debut followed a year later, but injuries limited his progress over the next few seasons as he remained on the fringes of a full breakthrough under Alex Neil.

The 19-year-old was loaned out to MK Dons in January 2024, and he made just five league starts in his 17 appearances for the club, but registered three goals and assists each for a decent return in his first real foray into men's football.

Tezgel was handed the chance to prove himself in the Championship at the start of the recent season by Steven Schumacher, as he started in each of the first two league games, and soon netted his maiden Potters goal in the EFL Cup against Carlisle United.

He again struggled to feature regularly as they battled against the drop under Narcis Pelach and Mark Robins, though, and his limited opportunities have seemingly made it tough for the Potters to convince him to stay beyond the end of his deal this summer.

Stoke confirmed in their retained list earlier this month that they were still in contract negotiations with Tezgel, but TEAMtalk have now revealed that Leeds are one of several English clubs interested in signing him this summer, with numerous 'lucrative offers' complicating negotiations for the Potters.

The same report states that Turkish giants Fenerbahçe are reigniting their long-standing interest in the 19-year-old, with his Turkish heritage through his father’s family and his eligibility to represent their national team acting as a major draw to his signature.

Stoke will not want to lose Tezgel, but an exit looks likely amid high-profile interest

Tezgel looked set to really make his mark on Stoke's senior side at the start of 2024/25, but nine months on and his departure seems like an almost foregone conclusion, especially in the face of interest from the likes of Leeds and Fenerbahçe.

Despite being handed starts in each of Stoke's first two league games of the campaign against Coventry and Watford, he found minutes a lot harder to come by under Narcis Pelach, and then featured just five times under Mark Robins in the second-half of the campaign.

The 19-year-old failed to appear in the Potters' matchday squad in any of their last 12 league outings amid their battle to survive, which went down to the final day of the season against Derby County.

Fellow youngster, close friend and academy product Nathan Lowe was instead often chosen to make an impact from the bench following his recall from an oustanding loan at Walsall.

Robins saw fit to allow him to play with the under-21's once again alongside Stoke's out-of-favour and recovering first-team players, due to his lack of minutes, and Tezgel proved that he is well beyond that level with 11 goals in five Premier League 2 appearances.

It is clear that he is ready for senior football, but whether he will ever play for Stoke again remains to be seen. The fact he has not yet chosen to sign a new contract at his boyhood club points to a bigger likelihood of an exit next month as he potentially looks to take on a new challenge and further his development elsewhere.

Stoke would no doubt like to keep Tezgel regardless of his lack of impact on Championship football so far, as he clearly has the talent to go a long way in the game in the future, but interest from clubs like Leeds and Fenerbahçe cannot be understated, and he is surely more likely to leave than extend his stay in ST4 soon.