Leeds United are reportedly weighing up a £13 million bid for out-of-favour Crystal Palace forward Christantus Uche, though FIFA regulations are set to delay any potential switch until the summer.

The 22-year-old Nigerian arrived at Selhurst Park on deadline day from Getafe on a season-long loan, which includes an obligation to buy if he makes 10 Premier League starts. Instead, he has made just eight minutes of league action, falling well short of expectations.

Palace boss Oliver Glasner has grown visibly frustrated with Uche’s output. When asked whether the forward had met required standards in training, Glasner paused before recalling their earlier conversation.

“I told him, ‘You arrived on deadline day without pre-season to a team that was 19 games unbeaten, so you can’t expect to be a starter immediately’,” he said.
“‘You have to show you deserve it and that you are better than the other player, then you can play’.”

Uche has accumulated only 67 minutes across all competitions, most of it in a Carabao Cup win over Millwall. Glasner later added:
“If I believe a player can help the team win a game… If I believe they can’t, it’s nothing personal, but I don’t play them.”

Reports suggest Palace are now even considering terminating his loan early. Africa Foot claims Leeds remain keen and could offer the forward a way out.

However, FIFA rules state that a player cannot represent more than two clubs in the same season. Since Uche already played for Getafe earlier in the campaign and has now appeared for Palace, he is ineligible to feature for Leeds or any other club until next summer.

Leeds were strongly linked with Uche during the last transfer window before Palace secured him. With the Whites pushing for promotion, attacking reinforcements remain a priority for January, but any move for Uche will now have to wait.