Leeds United will still be interested in signing Huddersfield Town midfielder Lewis O’Brien this summer, according to Daily Express journalist Ryan Taylor.

The Whites have long been linked with a move for the 23-year-old and have been tipped to try their luck once again with the market set to reopen in just over a week’s time.

What is the latest news involving O’Brien?

Last summer, Leeds' lengthy pursuit of O’Brien ended in disappointment as they were unwilling to match Huddersfield’s demands for their academy graduate.

And the engine room operator was rewarded with a new four-year contract in September that is believed to contain a £10 million release clause.

However, according to The Sun, Leeds are now prepared to match O’Brien’s valuation after the Terriers missed out on promotion, losing to Nottingham Forest in the Championship play-off final.

The tough-tackling midfielder could become Leeds’ second signing of the summer following the arrival of Brenden Aaronson from Red Bull Salzburg.

What has Taylor said about O’Brien?

Despite Jesse Marsch succeeding Marcelo Bielsa in the Elland Road dugout, Taylor still believes O’Brien will be on Leeds’ wish list as director of football Victor Orta ‘has a clear strategy’.

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He told GiveMeSport: “I think he will still be a player of interest to Leeds because Brenden Aaronson wasn't anything to do with Jesse Marsch, that was a signing that Bielsa was keen for, given his running stats.

“I think in the Champions League this season, no player ran more than Aaronson, which obviously with his Murderball football, it was key for that. So, it's clear the targets have sort of come in from upstairs, and Victor Orta has a clear strategy.”

Would O’Brien be a good signing?

O’Brien enjoyed a stellar 2021/22 season with his boyhood club, racking up six goal contributions in 50 appearances as Huddersfield finished in third position in the second-tier standings.

His manager Carlos Corberan, who was formerly on the backroom staff at Leeds, labelled his prized asset “very special” back in December, and it’s easy to understand why.

As per WhoScored, O’Brien made 2.1 tackles, pulled off one key pass and completed 2.1 dribbles per league game last term, placing him in the top three for each metric when compared to his teammates.

Whether O’Brien can replicate that sort of form in the Premier League remains to be seen, but he could prove to be a quality value-for-money addition to Leeds’ ranks.