Sam Greenwood's start to life at Thorp Arch with Leeds United's U23s has been a promising one. Six goals in nine appearances across all competitions, including a hat-trick against former club Sunderland certainly bodes well for the future.
More recently, Greenwood has been deployed in the No. 8 role for Mark Jackson's side, where he has impressed, taking to his new function well.
It is understandable that a striker with considerable pedigree who has brought goals wherever he has played in PL2 should be of interest to Championship clubs.
Cardiff City will not be the only outfit monitoring the 18-year-old's progress, the £1.5 million teenager is hot property that is for sure.
The temptation may be there to loan him out to the Bluebirds, in order for him to chance his arm at making his bow in senior football, but for the sake of development, he should remain with Leeds.
Greenwood has been moved around constantly since the age of 16. Having come through at Sunderland, due to the North East club's demise, he would not have been far off a first-team call over the past season or two. But, he opted for a move to Arsenal, where he continued his development as a junior footballer. That proved to be a move that paid off as he and recent Arsenal debutant Folarin Balogun struck up a prolific relationship in the U23s.
However, Greenwood's return to the north of England with Leeds meant he was on the move again, and thus should be allowed time to settle. He may have hit the ground running at Thorp Arch, but he has only been here for a matter of months.
His start may have been excellent, so imagine how much better he could be with consistent football. At 18 years-old, there is ample time for him to get first-team minutes in the Football League before he outgrows under-23 football.
Cardiff's motivations for signing Greenwood on loan must also be taken into account. The Championship side recently lost summer signing Kieffer Moore to injury, and are a team catered to playing direct, physical football which Welshman Moore thrives off.
Greenwood is a great competitor at under-23 level, but the rigours of the Championship may prove to be a bridge too far at this stage in his career.
Sending him out on loan somewhere he is likely to struggle, a long way from home, has the potential to derail a blossoming young player's confidence.
Likewise, with the standard currently on display in Leeds' U23s - who are atop Division 2 of the PL2 - Greenwood is working alongside a similar calibre of player, getting the opportunity to know his future teammates who routinely drop into the U23 side to gain match fitness.
