The agent of Southend United midfielder Ryan Leonard has admitted that his client wants to leave Roots Hall this summer in order to play in the Championship next season.
Leonard, who has been linked with Sheffield United and Millwall, scored three times in 43 League One appearances for Southend during the 2016-17 campaign.
The 25-year-old has made over 200 league appearances for the Shrimpers since arriving from Plymouth Argyle in 2011, but Leonard's agent Peter Conning has revealed that the midfielder is keen to play at a higher level.
"Ryan has not submitted a transfer request at this stage but he would certainly like to play at a higher level and move on from Southend," the Southend Evening Echo quotes Conning as saying.
"He would welcome the chance to step up to the Championship and the club are being offered good money so it would seem to make good financial sense too."
Southend narrowly missed out on making the League One playoffs last season, with Phil Brown's side pipped to sixth place by Millwall, who were promoted, on the final weekend of the 2016-17 campaign.
Matt Law
