Leeds United are one of a number of clubs interested in signing Liverpool defender Conor Bradley on loan, along with the likes of West Brom – and Jurgen Klopp heaped huge praise on him last night.
Bradley, 20, played only his seventh senior match for Liverpool on Thursday night in the Europa League – a 3-1 los to Belgian side Union St. Gilloise. It was only his second outing of the 2023-24 campaign.
It comes after Bradley excelled on loan at Bolton in League One last season. He played 53 times for the third-tier outfit, having a hand in 13 goals from defence. He is set to leave Liverpool on loan in January.
Leeds, Middlesbrough, Burnley and West Brom are among the clubs showing interest in Bradley – who despite struggling, as did the rest of the Liverpool side, earned praise from Klopp on Thursday night.
Speaking to Liverpool’s official website, Klopp said: “His attitude is outstanding, he’s a real fighter. We were struggling. I know how good they are, I see them in training. Tonight is an important experience.
R. Union Saint-Gilloise v Liverpool FC: Group E – UEFA Europa League 2023/24
“I don’t think any career ever started without these kind of games where you have to struggle, where you have to fight through, where you have to survive – and Conor, especially, did,” Klopp said last night.
Jurgen Klopp is a massive fan of new Leeds target Conor Bradley
Judging by his form for Bolton during 2022-23, Bradley is more than ready for a loan in the second tier, possibly the Premier League. A real talent, one that can have an impact in both attack and defence.
Do Leeds need Bradley? Right now, no. Leeds have Archie Gray, Jamie Shackleton and Luke Ayling as options on the right of defence. Djed Spence is fit, though deputising for Sam Byram on the left now.
Shackleton, Ayling, Byram and Stuart Dallas are all out of contract next June, and Spence is only on loan from Spurs. So, come next summer, a move for Bradley may make sense. But right now, he’s unneeded.
