Leeds United have a talented academy and are a club who have prided themselves on their pathway in giving them first-team opportunities.
Charlie Crew was signed by Leeds United and their academy setup in 2022 from Cardiff City and was swiftly through their U-18 side and into the U-21 team.
Crew believes his move to Leeds has paid off so far, with the Welsh international on the bench in 15 league games last season as an unused substitute.
He appeared in the 86th minute against Plymouth Argyle for his debut, but that was the midfielder’s one and only Leeds appearance so far. Now, Leeds United News has the latest exclusive information regarding Crew’s future.
Hull City v Doncaster Rovers - Emirates FA Cup Third Round
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Doncaster Rovers lead the race for Leeds’ Charlie Crew ahead of other League One and League Two sides
A Welsh international who has also played at various age groups for his country, Crew has been compared to Archie Gray at Leeds in terms of his potential and trajectory.
Gray actually believes Crew will replace him in time and Crew’s inclusion in pre-season last year was a sign of how highly regarded he is by Daniel Farke and others.
Leeds made the decision to loan Crew in January, which paid off in terms of handing him much-needed regular minutes for his development.
It’s fair to say Crew really started to improve at Doncaster Rovers during a five-month long loan spell with the club from January onwards.
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Now, Leeds United News sources have confirmed the latest information regarding his future. A host of League Two and League One clubs are eyeing up a loan move for Crew this summer.
One of those is thought to be Doncaster Rovers after a successful stint with Grant McCann in their 2024/25 League Two campaign where they won the title.
Leeds believe he has a big future ahead of him and the next step in his development is obviously into League One football after promotion from the fourth tier.
Currently, Doncaster is the most likely location for Crew, but there is a queue forming behind them and a handful of other League One sides are in the mix and vying for his services.
Gillingham v Doncaster Rovers - Sky Bet League Two
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How Charlie Crew performed for Doncaster Rovers on loan from Leeds
Doncaster boss McCann was thrilled with Crew and they should be the obvious front-runners for his signature after utilising him often since January, bar a couple of minor injury issues.
Doncaster won the title and the 19-year-old (then 18) made 13 appearances in that time, including 11 starts for the South Yorkshire outfit.
Team Appearances Goals Assists
Leeds U-21 31 0 1
Leeds 1 0 0
Doncaster Rovers 13 0 0
Wales U-21 4 0 0
Wales 1 0 0
Charlie Crew’s career stats (selected – all comps)
Predominantly a defensive or central midfielder, he could be battling former Leeds academy player Robbie Gotts for minutes at the Eco-Power Stadium.
However, there is plenty of competition for his signature, no matter how well liked Crew is by McCann at Doncaster. They are the favourites to land him currently, though.