Leeds United transfer news: Former Doncaster Rovers player sent out for more experience
Leeds United midfielder Charlie Crew has joined Walsall on a season-long loan.
The 20-year-old is a full Wales international who had two loan spells with Doncaster Rovers, but was sent back midway through the second of them after making just five starts in last season's League One. The Whites had hoped to send him out on loan again but instead he spent the rest of the campaign with their under-21s.
Crew was part of Leeds' touring squad which went to the United States of America, but has now been loaned out to League Two for experience.
Crew's only first-team appearance was as an 86th-minute substitute in a 3-0 win at home to Plymouth Argyle in November 2024.
By then he was a full international, having played for Wales in a summer 2024 friendly in Gibraltar.
In all, Crew made 24 appearances for Doncaster but his international commitments made it harder for him to get regular football with them.
After deciding to send Crew back in the new year, Rovers manager McCann admitted: "He probably hasn’t got to the levels that I thought he would do".
With such fierce competition for places in any Premier League midfield, it makes sense for the youngster to continue his education in League Two.
The Saddlers finished 13th in the division last season, tailing off badly after a strong start for the second year running.
Leeds had been hoping to add to their midfield stocks with Southampton's Shea Charles, but the former Sheffield Wednesday loanee now looks set to join Fulham.
So far this window, Leeds' only additions have been playmaker Harry Wilson and defender Tarik Muharemovic, but a club-record move for goalkeeper James Trafford is expected once Manchester City can sign a replacement for the goalkeeper, expected to be Marseille's Geronimo Rulli.