The Premier League look set to grant the Leeds United academy category one status in the coming days.
According to The Athletic, the Yorkshire side will be granted category one status for the first time in their history.
The club will join a list of top-tier academies in the English game after passing an audit under the Premier League’s Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP).
Current category one clubs include; Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool and Manchester City.
REPORT: Premier League to Upgrade Leeds United Academy to Category One Status
Leeds Successful on and off the Pitch
This news will come as another success in the project that Andrea Radrizzani set out on after he became the majority shareholder at the club in 2017.
The Elland Road side currently sit top of the Championship by one point with five games to go.
It will be the end of a 16-year absence from English football’s top-tier should they win promotion.
Leeds have made huge strides in improving their youth setup since head coach Marcelo Bielsa took charge two years ago. Most notably, the club agreed on a proposal for a new and improved training ground to replace Thorp Arch.
The granting of a category one status will allow Leeds to enter a side into the Leasing.com Trophy; their under-23s will likely play in the Premier League Two from next season.
The Yorkshire club reportedly spend £4 million on their academy each year.
Additionally, the new status will mean an increase in central revenue for the development of youngsters at the club.
Academy at Heart of Leeds’ Promotion Push
The status is a deserved reward for the faith the Whites’ are placing on their academy graduates. Marcelo Bielsa has handed senior debuts to 13 academy players in the space of his two-year reign.
One of the most successful academy graduates to have moved into the first-team is midfielder Kalvin Phillips.
The 24-year-old turned professional in 2014 and is nearing 200 appearances for the club.
Palace Join Academy Elite
Crystal Palace were confirmed by the Premier League as a category one academy this afternoon.
They join the other 26 elite-tier academies in the English game. Palace have an impressive record of academy graduates reaching their first-team. The Eagles have produced 36 players to play for the senior team who have made more than 1,000 appearances collectively.
Some of the recent success stories to come out of the South London club’s training ground include Wilfried Zaha and Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
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