Bristol City triggering O’Dowda’s contract option complicates Leeds’ bid to sign him

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Callum O’Dowda is reportedly a target for Leeds United as they seek to improve their wide options to maintain their status atop the Championship table.

The energetic winger had just six months left on his contract when Marcelo Bielsa’s side first made an approach, raising hopes that a reasonably-priced deal could be struck with Bristol City.

But the Robins have since triggered an option in O’Dowda’s contract, which means his current deal now has 18 months left to run, strengthening Lee Johnson’s bargaining position.

That will also serve to increase the price Bristol City can demand for the winger, eliminating the prospect of Leeds lowballing them because of the possibility he could simply leave for free during the summer.

Leeds may sit on top of the Championship but their spending power is not huge, so they still need to seek value in the marketplace, which is notoriously tough to come by in the mid-season window.

O’Dowda is not as creatively gifted as some of Bielsa’s current options, but his relentless running and delivery from wide could be useful assets as the business end of the season draws close.

But he is perhaps not worth paying top dollar for, and with the asking price now likely to be raised to reflect City’s position of more strength, Bielsa could be tempted to look elsewhere.