I want him to sign for Leeds - Exclusive: Bent makes PL striker claim after development

Darren Bent has revealed he would like to see Southampton striker Che Adams reignite his career by joining Leeds United this summer.

The former Tottenham and England hitman, speaking exclusively to Football Insider assistant editor Russell Edge, believes having a manager who believes in you is "half the battle" when it comes to settling in at a new club.

As revealed by Football Insider, the Whites could snap up the 23-year-old for a fee of around £10million after Marcelo Bielsa chased his capture back in January.

Leeds had agreed a £19million fee for the former Birmingham forward but the move fell through and Adams remained on the south coast.

Having seen Bielsa push hard to try and get a deal over the line earlier this year, Bent insists that the striker would have no fear in moving to Elland Road.

Bent told Football Insider: "It's a sad one because I really like Che Adams, I've been a big fan of his but for whatever reason it's just not happened for him. 

"Why that is, I don't know - you can never quite put your finger on why situations don't work for certain people. Unfortunately, it's just one of those things where it hasn't worked. 

"I'm a fan of his, I like him, he's a good player, he does so much for the team - a big strong guy, holds the ball up really, really well - but he just hasn't been able to find the net consistently enough.

"First and foremost, amongst transfers and everything, you need the manager to believe in you. If you've got a manager that believes in you, that's half the battle. If you've got a manager who's not quite sure about you, you're always struggling.

"For me, I would like to see him go somewhere like Leeds and play - I would have liked to see him work out at Southampton but if not, then maybe go somewhere else." 

In other Leeds United news, Alex Bruce claims a former Elland Road favourite made a mistake leaving the club.