Leeds United, Stoke City and Norwich City make 'regular' transfer checks on League Two starlet

Leeds United have been making "regular checks" on Port Vale starlet Karl Agnero. That is according to TEAMtalk, who claim the Whites, Stoke City and Norwich City are among a number of Premier League and Championship clubs tracking the all-action midfielder.

Agnero has earned plenty of plaudits at Vale Park, producing a string of eye-catching performances for the Valiants Under-18s side. The 16-year-old's meteoric rise to prominence culminated in him making his first-team debut for the League Two side in the EFL Trophy clash against Wolverhampton Wanderers U21s last month.

The report states that the Whites are keen to further enhance their academy set-up by signing young players who can eventually step up and flourish in the senior environment. The rise of Archie Gray underlines United's ability to nurture young players into top talent. Gray burst on to the scene last year, clocking up over 50 appearances as the Whites agonisingly missed out on promotion back to the Premier League. Gray blossomed at right-back and in central midfield, prompting Tottenham Hotspur to splash out £40m on his services this summer.

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Despite cashing in on Gray, United still have an abundance of options in the middle of the park. They added Joe Rothwell and Ao Tanaka to their ranks in the most recent window. Tanaka is set to be handed his first start tonight away at Norwich since arriving from Fortuna Dusseldorf following Ethan Ampadu's injury setback. Ampadu is expected to miss the rest of 2024 after suffering a serious knee problem in Saturday's impressive home win over Coventry City.

Boss Daniel Farke can also call upon Ilia Gruev and Charlie Crew in the midfield engine room. Ex-Manchester City youngster Darko Gyabi is currently out on a season-long loan deal with Championship rivals Plymouth Argyle.