Emil Bohinen in action for Norway Under-21s. (Getty Images)
According to Norwegian publication Budstikka (h/t Berkshire Live), Leeds United have been credited with an interest in Norwegian prodigy Emil Bohinen, who is the son of former Nottingham Forest, Blackburn Rovers and Derby County midfielder, Lars Bohinen.
The report adds that the Whites are expected to face stiff competition from Premier League outfit Sheffield United in their pursuit of the 20-year-old dynamic midfielder, who is widely regarded as one of the best rising prospects in Norway.
Bohinen rose through the youth ranks of Stabaek in his homeland before bursting on to the scene in the Eliteserien, the top-flight of Norwegian football, during the 2017 campaign.
Having played only a handful of cameos for the first-team in his first two seasons at the senior level, the highly-rated youngster made a significant impact in the recently-concluded 2019 campaign, accumulating an impressive tally of 4 goals and 8 assists in 31 appearances across all competitions.
Bohinen, who featured for Norway in the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Poland earlier in the year, has already earned nine caps for his nation at the U-21 level, although he is yet to make his senior international debut.
Essentially a right-sided midfielder by trade, the 20-year-old has the versatility to operate as a central midfielder and his rapid rise in Norway has alerted a number of clubs across the continent to his obvious talent and vast potential.
To put things into perspective, Leeds United apparently have just enough depth in their midfield options for the time being but the arrival of a talented youngster like Emil Bohinen could be a massive boost to their long-term plans moving forward under Marcelo Bielsa.
With veteran playmaker Pablo Hernandez nearing the autumn of his professional career, Leeds would eventually need to bring in younger players to fill the Spaniard’s boots, and Bohinen seems to have the potential to make a big impact at Elland Road in the years to come.
Mateusz Klich, Kalvin Phillips and Adam Forshaw are all tied down to long-term deals in West Yorkshire. But if the 20-year-old’s impressive tally of goals and assists in the Norwegian top-flight is anything to go by, he seems to have the versatility and the dynamism to take Leeds United to greater heights in the future.
The Whites have unearthed gems like Pascal Struijk, Kun Temenuzhkov, Aapo Halme and Mateusz Bogusz as a result of their extensive scouting, while others like Jordan Stevens, Liam McCarron and Leif Davis have joined the youth system from various lower division clubs in the Football League system.
As evident from the rise of homegrown prospects like Jack Clarke, Jamie Shackleton, Ryan Edmondson and Leif Davis, Bielsa hasn’t been afraid to put his trust in young players if they are capable of doing a job for the team, and Emil Bohinen could be yet another fantastic addition to the pool of burgeoning young talents at Elland Road.
All in all, Leeds United’s interest in the Norwegian prodigy makes a lot of sense for a number of reasons and this looks like a move that could pay off handsomely for the Whites moving forward.
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