"If he came in and flopped... you wouldn't be surprised" - Leeds United eye Nottingham Forest player: The verdict | OneFootball

footballleagueworld video of the day

This article is part of Football League World’s ‘The Verdict‘ series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Leeds United have made an enquiry for Nottingham Forest midfielder Jonjo Shelvey, according to TEAMtalk.

The Whites are in desperate need of further reinforcements, with time running out for Daniel Farke and co. to complete deals in the transfer window.

Shelvey is one potential option who has emerged, with the 31-year-old now playing for Nottingham Forest after moving from Newcastle United in January.

Leeds have seen a number of high-profile departures in the central-midfield area of the squad following relegation from the Premier League, such as Marc Roca, Weston McKennie, Adam Forshaw, Marc Roca, and, most recently, Tyler Adams.

The USMNT captain's return to the top-flight was confirmed this weekend, as he joined AFC Bournemouth for a fee of around £23 million plus add-ons.

It leaves Leeds short in midfield, although they have been active in the market to recruit in that area. The Whites signed Chelsea's Ethan Ampadu earlier in the transfer window, but they still require at least one central-midfielder before the end of the window, with new-boy Ampadu joined by Archie Gray, Darko Gyabi, Lewis Bate, and Jamie Shackleton as options in Farke's double-pivot at present.

Shelvey could be the latest addition to that, with his move from Newcastle United in January so far proving to be unsuccessful. He started six of his eight games for the side, but was completely omitted from the squad in the final seven games of the campaign.

Here, we ask our FLW writers their verdict on whether this will be a good addition for Leeds United to sign Shelvey from Nottingham Forest.

Adam Elliott

Of course, Shelvey would bring vast experience and has been promoted out of the Championship before with the Magpies. He has made over 400 appearances in English football for the likes of Charlton Athletic, Blackpool, Liverpool, Swansea City, and Newcastle United.

Most of his games have come in the Premier League, as he was a once well-established top-flight player. Shelvey has contributed to 52 goals and assists from 278 appearances in the Premier League, as well as 28 in 70 Championship games.

He evidently has a wonderful range of passing, which has not diminished as he has entered his 30s. Shelvey's long range ball-striking would be handy, as would his ability from set-pieces. The 31-year-old has also captained sides he has played for on occasion, too, with that experience potentially vital to what is a young Leeds side.

However, there are many drawbacks to signing the Nottingham Forest midfielder. Shelvey's wages are likely to be fairly significant, and his powers have waned somewhat. That is particularly worrying when he has never been physically the most capable but has weakened further in recent years. He lacks the mobility and athleticism to cover ground when he loses the ball, which potentially makes him a liability out of possession.

Shelvey's lack of pace can often lead him to being rash out of possession and has been a player who picks up many cards over the course of his career already, and would require Ampadu or Gray to do a lot of the leg work around him in midfield.

Outside of helping Leeds in their first and second phase build up, it does seem like a strange deal for Farke, who requires more athleticism from his double-pivot players. The midfielder's off-ball work rate and out of possession ability make him ill-suited. Whereas, Lewis O'Brien, his teammate at Nottingham Forest, would be a much more sensible signing.

Shelvey's age and injury record should put Leeds off from doing this deal, but O'Brien is a much better fit in this regard, due to his quality out of possession, too.

Alfie Burns

There are a handful of positives to Leeds potentially bringing Shelvey in over the next fortnight.

They need depth in midfield and clearly recognise that after Tyler Adams' exit over the weekend, whilst a more possession-focused player like Shelvey ticks another box. His experience to help a young squad should also be seen as a positive, with Leeds naming the second youngest average XI in the Championship this season.

However, it feels like Shelvey's best is well behind him now. He underwhelmed at Forest last season and it's been some time since he was lighting up the Premier League or Championship, and fans at Elland Road are likely going to be demanding a more inspiring signing after a fairly low-key window so far.

Shelvey has traits and qualities that suit Leeds' needs, yet you feel there's too much risk there versus the reward. Honestly, if he came in and flopped at Elland Road, it would not be a surprise at all.

The most damning thing you can say is that, back in April, Leeds beat Nottingham Forest at Elland Road, with Shelvey playing over a third of that game. Marc Roca and Weston McKennie, arguably, produced their best performances for the Whites that day and dominated that midfield. Both have been sent packing with quite the send-off from Leeds this summer, so it begs the question as to why the club would target a player that couldn't get the better of that pair?