Cardiff City and Swansea City join transfer battle for Brighton player | OneFootball

Cardiff City and Swansea City are among a growing list of clubs keeping tabs on midfielder Marc Leonard as he continues to impress on loan at Northampton Town from Brighton.

Marc Leonard’s career so far

The 22-year-old Glaswegian started out with Rangers before joining Hearts’ academy, and it was his time with the Jambos that put Leonard on the radar of Brighton, who brought him to England in 2018 as a teenager.

Leonard would go on to make two appearances for the Seagulls in the League Cup, but he was understandably some way away from the first-team, so a loan was sorted to Northampton in the 2022/23 season.

And, it worked out very well, as he featured regularly as the Cobblers won promotion to League One.

Therefore, another switch to Sixfields was finalised in the summer, and Leonard has once again impressed under the guidance of Jon Brady.

He has managed five goals and six assists in 40 appearances this season, and his all-round game has been a key factor in helping Northampton to 11th in the third tier.

Marc Leonard transfer latest

Unsurprisingly, such form has put Leonard on the radar of clubs higher in the Football League, and it has been claimed the likes of Portsmouth and Coventry City are interested in the player.

The Daily Record has provided a further update on Leonard’s future, as they revealed that Pompey chief John Mousinho was watching on as Leonard faced Derby County on Saturday, but the south coast side won’t have a clear run at the midfielder, as there is serious Championship interest too, including from the Welsh rivals.

“Portsmouth boss John Mousinho is back on the trail of Marc Leonard. The Pompey manager is a long-term admirer of the midfielder and watched him help Northampton to an impressive win over promotion-chasing Derby County at the weekend. A number of English Championship clubs, including Preston, Swansea, Cardiff and Plymouth, are all keeping close tabs on Leonard.”

Marc Leonard’s future

Leonard has a contract with Brighton that runs until the summer of 2025, whilst the Premier League side also have a one-year option. So, any club that does want to sign him this summer will have to agree a fee with the Seagulls.

Despite his undoubted potential, it’s hard to see Leonard forcing his way into Roberto De Zerbi’s plans, as Brighton are stacked with quality, and they’re a club that have ambitions of regularly challenging for European football.

Therefore, a summer move does seem likely, and the natural next step for Leonard would be the Championship as he continues to work his way up the Football League.

So, for Portsmouth to have a chance of landing the Scotland U21 international, it would seem to be imperative that they win promotion. Similarly, for Plymouth, they will need to avoid relegation to have a real chance of winning the race for Leonard’s signature.

The immediate focus for Leonard will be on ending the season on a high with Northampton before making a decision on his next move after discussions with Brighton.