Luke Baartman of Cape Town Spurs appears to have been dealt a blow by Leeds United and Celtic in their pursuit of him.
That comes after a report that the 17-year-old has inked a new contract with his current club, according to Soccer Luduuma, a publication in South Africa.
Regarding the interest in Baartman, what has been said?
Baartman appears to be beginning to have an influence at the senior level in his native South Africa, despite his advanced age.
Despite only making his senior debut for Cape Town Spurs last month, the striker has already made four appearances across all competitions for the team and scored his first goal.
That development appears to have drawn a lot of interest from other sources, as recent reports from The Scottish Sun indicate that Leeds and Celtic are keeping an eye on the teenager’s development.
Additionally, it was reported that Premier League teams are considering their options in regards to hiring the highly-regarded forward.
Now, though, it appears that those parties’ hopes of hiring Baartman in the near future have suffered a little setback.
What’s new regarding Baartman’s prospects?
It appears as though the striker may be content where he is for the time being, despite the serious interest he is receiving from other teams.
As per the most recent update from South Africa, Baartman has now signed a new contract with Cape Town Spurs.
That is reported to have happened at a time when the teenager was receiving a lot of attention from both domestic and international sources.
Given that his current club, which is eight points from safety at the bottom of the South African premier league after winning just one and losing ten of their eleven league games this season, will undoubtedly view this new contract as a major boost.
Where are Leeds United in the in the Championship?
Leeds, who were demoted from the Premier League to the Championship at the end of the previous season, have had a great start to the new season.
The Elland Road team has collected 31 points from 16 league games this season under new manager Daniel Farke.
They are currently eight points out of an automatic promotion spot in the Championship standings, having finished third as a result.
| Championship Table (As it stands November 20th) | ||||
| Team | P | GD | Pts | |
| 1 | Leicester City | 16 | 19 | 39 |
| 2 | Ipswich Town | 16 | 15 | 39 |
| 3 | Leeds United | 16 | 11 | 31 |
| 4 | Southampton | 16 | 1 | 30 |
| 5 | Preston North End | 16 | -1 | 28 |
| 6 | Sunderland | 16 | 10 | 26 |
| 7 | West Brom | 16 | 9 | 26 |
| 8 | Hull City | 16 | 3 | 26 |
Leeds will play their next game on Friday night, traveling to The New York Stadium to take on Rotherham United.
What does Leeds stand to gain from Baartman’s new contract with the Cape Town Spurs?
Those who are connected to Leeds United will be somewhat disappointed by this.
A deal might need to be postponed because Baartman appears content to stay where he is right now, having signed a new contract with the Cape Town Spurs.
He will undoubtedly need to move on at some point if he wants to advance in his career, and considering his current club’s standing and the financial options available to teams like Leeds in the English game, it seems like they should still be able to afford this deal in the long run.
Considering how many other teams are probably hoping to do the same, you feel that Leeds needs to be prepared to strike quickly if and when Baartman becomes available in the future.
