Andy O'Brien

O'Brien is the first Leeds signing of the transfer window

Andy O’Brien is set to become the first signing of the January transfer window for Leeds United.

The Bolton defender has been on loan at Elland Road and, despite two own goals against Portsmouth, has generally performed well, providing a calming influence on the Leeds back line.

O’Brien will join on a two-and-a-half-year deal once his current loan deal is up after Tuesday’s match against Cardiff. It was the Welsh club that were the biggest obstacle in securing the deal, offering O’Brien an attractive deal which led to reports suggesting he would be heading to Cardiff instead of Leeds. However, following talks with Simon Grayson and Ken Bates, O’Brien has committed himself to Leeds and should be in the squad for next weekend’s trip to London for the FA Cup 3rd round tie against Arsenal where his Premier League experience could prove vital.

Leeds boss, Simon Grayson, has since stated that he wishes to add more new faces to the squad. He claims to have a number of options and the backing of Ken Bates should the right opportunity present itself. With speculation rife about who could be heading in and out of Elland Road, we will just have to wait and see what moves Grayson and Bates will make in the transfer market.