Leeds United eye key Middlesbrough figure

Middlesbrough’s Kieran Scott has caught the attention of Leeds United owner Andrea Radrizzani.

According to The Athletic, the Boro director of football is a potential target of the Premier League club.

Leeds are currently searching for a new director of football following the departure of Victor Orta earlier this year.

Orta had held the role since May 2017, helping lead the club back to the Premier League with the appointment of Marcelo Bielsa as manager.

Could Kieran Scott leave Middlesbrough?

Scott has been with the Championship side since August 2021, having arrived from Norwich City where he was previously the chief scout at the Canaries.

It is his former colleague Stuart Webber at Carrow Road that has also been linked with the role.

However, despite initial interest in both candidates, no steps have yet been taken to make any concrete interest known in either party.

Leeds are currently battling against relegation from the Premier League, where their fate will be decided this weekend.

Would Kieran Scott be a good appointment at Leeds United?

The final round of fixtures in the season has pit Sam Allardyce’s team against Tottenham in their bid for survival.

Only victory can keep Leeds in the top flight, although their fate is out of their hands given the gap to Everton in 17th is now two points.

Meanwhile, Middlesbrough are now planning for life in the second tier for another season following their play-off disappointment.

Michael Carrick’s side suffered a 1-0 home loss to lose by that scoreline on aggregate to Coventry City in the play-off semi-finals.

The Sky Blues will face Luton Town for a place in the top flight, with Boro maintaining their place in the Championship for a seventh season in a row.

How big a blow would Kieran Scott’s potential departure be for Middlesbrough?

Scott has overseen a positive period for the club, with seventh and fourth place finishes in the league since his appointment.

The club’s recruitment has been key to this rise, and the gamble to take a punt on bringing Carrick to the club has looked like a masterstroke that almost earned them promotion.

While the wheels fell off Chris Wilder’s tenure at the Riverside, the 55-year-old still made a positive impact at the club initially, before form took a nosedive.

It comes as no surprise that a club like Leeds are considering a move for him, and it would be a blow to Boro if he were to depart.