Transfer blow emerges for Crystal Palace, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United in quest to land EFL teenager | OneFootball

Bundesliga duo RB Leipzig and Frankfurt are currently leading Premier League sides in the race to recruit Peterborough United centre-back Ronnie Edwards, as per a report from The Sun.

The 19-year-old has become an important player for the Championship side this term and although their relegation back to the third tier was confirmed, the teenager can emerge from the 2021/22 campaign with a lot of credit.

Making 32 second-tier appearances this season, he has now become a regular under Grant McCann, though they have a chance to make a tidy profit on the defender if they decide to cash in on him this summer, able to maximise his fee because of the fact he put pen to paper on a new long-term deal last summer.

Only die-hard Peterborough United supporters will get at least 20/25 on this higher or lower quiz

1 of 25

Has Peterborough United been in existence over 100 years?

Yes No

His contract doesn’t expire until 2025 because of this, a fee of around £15m-£20m may be needed to lure him away from the Weston Homes Stadium, a further financial boost for McCann’s men who are set to generate a further £1m on add-ons with Ivan Toney helping to keep Brentford in the top tier.

The Bees’ league rivals Crystal Palace, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are all thought to be monitoring his situation in Cambridgeshire ahead of a potential transfer approach this summer.

However, The Sun have revealed that the centre-back may opt to make the switch to Germany with Leipzig and Frankfurt both reported to be leading their English rivals in this race to land the teenager.

The Verdict:

The likes of Jude Bellingham and Jadon Sancho have both enjoyed success out in Germany and you certainly wouldn’t bet against Edwards getting plenty of game time under his belt at Leipzig and Frankfurt.

Leipzig may offer him European football and the opportunity to participate in cup competitions – and Frankfurt may enable him to win plenty of league minutes – so both experiences could be quite valuable for the 19-year-old.

Now he’s made his senior breakthrough though, he will be reluctant to sit on the bench too often and this is why he needs to weigh up his options carefully in the summer before choosing the best next step for his development.

Winning a first-team spot at either may put England manager Gareth Southgate on high alert, so a possible move to Germany is certainly an attractive one, although it remains to be seen whether he’s willing to relocate.

If he is to stay in England, he may benefit from a move to Palace to give him the best possible chance of forcing his way into the first team as quickly as possible. One thing he shouldn’t do is go back to playing youth football – because he has already shown himself to be a capable option at a senior level.