YEP 2/7/21 Leeds United trigger clause to sign Jack Harrison permanently from Manchester City after three-year loan

Leeds United unveiled the permanent signing of Manchester City winger Jack Harrison on Friday night.

By Joe Urquhart

The 24-year-old has spent the past three seasons on loan at Elland Road, notching a remarkable 128 appearances for the club across all competitions.

Harrison was a key member of Marcelo Bielsa s Championship-winning squad and after helping establish the club in the Premier League last term has penned a three-year deal.

United held a clause to sign the winger on a permanent transfer this summer for an undisclosed fee - which is believed to be in the region of £11m.

Leeds have wasted no time in activating the deal that was agreed in principle with Pep Guardiola's outfit who Harrison never made a senior appearance for.

The former Manchester United youth product broke through at New York City in the MLS after making the move from England to America as a youngster.

Harrison then earned himself a headline move across the Pennines with sister club Man City in January 2018 after being chosen as the number one overall pick in the MLS draft two years prior.

He joined Championship side Middlesbrough on a temporary basis until the summer after his move home was complete before securing a switch to LS11 on a season-long loan for his first taste of consistent professional football in England.

The wide man then spent the next three seasons under Bielsa's watch without ever becoming a permanent member of the Whites squad amid the balancing of financial fair play books in West Yorkshire.

Last season Harrison became the scorer of the club's first Premier League goal in 16 years with his opening day strike against Liverpool at Anfield.

He went on to bag eight goals and eight assists in the top flight throughout the campaign, which was enough to earn himself a contract until 2024 having impressed for United on a regular basis since his arrival.

"Leeds has been incredible to me, I've developed a lot whilst I've been here," Harrison said a few months ago.

"We always try to break our limits. A lot of people doubted us saying you can't last a season with Marcelo [Bielsa], you're not going to make it to the Premier League.

"A lot of Leeds fans around the world are happy to see us back now but I think they want to try and push for European football as well. That's in the sights of a lot of Leeds fans and I think a lot of the players too, it would be a dream come true to play European football in these next few years."

Harrison will now link up with his Whites team-mates in the coming days after Bielsa's squad began their pre-season preparations for the 2021/22 campaign earlier this week.