Coventry City, Plymouth Argyle and Swansea City handed Brighton transfer boost | OneFootball

One player who looks set to be the subject of much speculation over the course of the summer transfer window, is Brighton's Marc Leonard.

Having come through the academy ranks at the Premier League club, the midfielder has spent the last two seasons on loan at Northampton Town.

After helping the Cobblers to promotion from League Two last season, the current campaign has seen Leonard help them to a comfortable mid-table position in the League One standings.

In total, Leonard has made 94 appearances in all competitions for Northampton, scoring six goals and providing seven appearances in that time.

Such form has already seen him attract attention from elsewhere, with a number of Championship clubs, including Swansea City, Plymouth Argyle and Coventry City all credited with an interest in the 22-year-old.

Now it seems as though those clubs may have been given a boost in their attempts to secure the services of the Scotsman.

Brighton's Marc Leonard stance revealed

According to the latest update from The Athletic, Brighton are willing to let Leonard leave permanently in the summer market.

That could of course, open the door for one of those interested Championship sides to make a move to sign the 22-year-old at the end of this season.

To date, Leonard has made just two senior competitive appearances for Brighton, both of which have come in the cup competitions.

As things stand, there is just a year remaining on his contract with the club, albeit they do have an option to extend that deal by a further 12 months.

This new report though, suggests that they will not be taking that up. If he does move on this summer, this interest could give Leonard the choice of clubs in differing positions in the Championship.

Mixed seasons for Coventry, Swansea and Plymouth

There has been some contrasting form among some of those clubs to have been linked with Leonard this season.

Coventry are currently seventh in the Championship table, and not out of the play-off race. They are also preparing for an FA Cup semi final against Manchester United.

Swansea meanwhile sit 15th in the table, and look to be clear of the relegation battle. However, Plymouth are still only two points clear of the bottom three, so may yet end up playing League One football again next season.

Clubs should be ready to move for Leonard

It does feel as though the likes of Coventry, Swansea and Plymouth should be preparing to make a move for Leonard in the summer.

The midfielder has already shown during his career, that he is a very good performer at League One level.

His next step is to therefore make a similar impact in the Championship, and at 22-years-old, he still has plenty of time to become a long-term asset for these clubs.

Considering Brighton are willing to let him go as he enters the final year of his current contract, Leonard may also prove to be an affordable for these clubs.

Given the promise he has shown during his time on loan with Northampton, it would be no surprise to see Leonard's list of suitors grow as we move closer to the summer.

With that in mind, the likes of Coventry, Swansea and Plymouth may want to be ready to move quickly here, to ensure they are not beaten in the race for Leonard's services by another rival.