Leeds United could be set to lose a prized puzzle piece for the future as top clubs in England and on the continent have reportedly turned their attention towards 20-year-old England U21 youth international right-back Cody Drameh.
The London native arrived at Elland Road in the summer of 2022 as a product of Fulham’s academy pipeline but has yet to stake a real claim in Yorkshire thus far under Jesse Marsch, with summer signing Rasmus Kristensen the undisputed first-choice right-back under the American manager.
According to football insider Fabrizio Romano, interest in Drameh is heating up which could culminate in a move away from the club come January.
A host of credible clubs across Europe as well as Premier League hot-shots Newcastle United continue to monitor the young English defender, with development wizards Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen, and LOSC Lille all said to be following the player as a long-term signing and future star.
Drameh embarked on a very credible loan spell at Cardiff City in the Championship last term that saw him arrive in Wales during the January window in the wake of making just five appearances in the first half of the 2021-22 season to the tune of 237-minutes of action across all three domestic competitions.
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That lack of minutes persists this term under Marsch as Drameh has featured just once for Leeds in the Premier League during the club’s 5-2 drubbing at the hands of Brentford in which he featured for 70-minutes while also featuring once in both the Carabao Cup as a substitute in a 2-0 loss against West Ham and a 3-1 FA Cup win over Barnsley.
Certainly, the chance to develop at a club like Dortmund, Leverkusen, or Lille - clubs with historic track records of youth progression - would turn anyone’s eye, but should Drameh want to stay in England he could certainly do far worse than Eddie howe’s Newcastle.
Not only are Newcastle clearly on the rise as they go into the World Cup break sitting third in the Premier League while boasting one of the top defensive records in the division, but with Kieran Trippier on the wrong side of 30 but still performing and the Magpies in line for European football next term, there are increased chances for minutes in the immediate future while having a mentor in Trippier to grow under for the long-term.
