/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/46946268/GettyImages-482647338.0.jpg)
A proposed deal that would have taken young Tottenham Hotspur defender Milos Veljkovic on loan to Leeds United is apparently on the verge of falling through. Writing for the Yorkshire Evening Post, Leeds journo Phil Hay says that the deal is falling apart over differences in playing time.
No further movement with Leeds' interest in Spurs midfielder Milos Veljkovic. Looks like that one won't happen. #lufc
— Phil Hay (@PhilHayYEP) August 12, 2015
Essentially, Leeds wanted to sign Veljkovic on a one-month loan deal as cover for their first team defenders, while Spurs were expecting a minimum of a six-month long term development loan. Spurs also wanted Leeds to assure them that he would get regular starts and playing time with the Championship club and not rot on the bench like he has on previous loans, something that Leeds was not willing to do.
Veljkovic is coming off of a disastrous season where he had two loans: one to Middlesbrough where he barely played, and one to Charlton where he very quickly picked up an injury. However, this summer he played extremely well in central defense for Serbia's U20 team, helping lead his team to the U20 World Cup title.
While there's some doubt as to whether his future lies in central defense or as a defensive midfielder (he played as a CB for Serbia this summer), at present it looks as though he's not in Tottenham's immediate plans for this season, so a good loan is essential for his development. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like it's going to happen at Leeds, which is a bummer.