Leeds United now appear to have finally reached a decision on the potential signing of Cheikhou Kouyate after several days of mixed reports.
Leeds looking for midfield additions
As it stands, Daniel Farke will be choosing two of Joe Rothwell, untried youngster Charlie Crew and summer addition Ao Tanaka for his midfield double pivot after a pair of injuries handed the Leeds boss a major blow in his pursuit of promotion from the Championship.
Ethan Ampadu was forced off in the first half of Leeds’ win over Coventry City with a knee injury, before midfield partner Ilia Gruev suffered a similar fate three days later in a draw with Norwich City.
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Farke revealed that he didn’t expect Ampadu to return until the end of 2024, explaining that: “It’s a serious knee injury, he’s damaged his lateral ligament. The doctors have recommended conservative treatment so doesn’t need surgery, but it’s difficult to predict how long he’ll be out. Ten weeks until he’s back in team training.”
Gruev is likely to be similar after the club confirmed a “significant injury to his meniscus” which will require “an extended period of rehabilitation”.
Having sold both Archie Gray and Glen Kamara over the summer, midfield was already a weak point for Farke in terms of numbers, and two major injuries have made it a major area of concern at Elland Road, and has led to speculation about a potential addition.
Farke talked down the prospects of signing a free agent though, explaining that: “On the midfielder position, after the horrendous news with Ilia Gruev, my attitude [is] I actually don’t like October signings of free agents. I don’t believe in it, but when the times are strange, you have to think about it.”
Now though, a decision appears to have been made once and for all, with the Leeds board deciding to go ahead with a deal for the former AFCON winner.
Leeds United make decision on Kouyate
That is according to Football Insider’s transfer correspondent Pete O’Rourke, who just 48 hours after suggesting that a deal for free agent midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate was unlikely to go ahead is now reporting that Leeds have made yet another U-turn and are ready to proceed with his addition.
Kouyate has been a free agent since his time at Nottingham Forest came to an end at the end of the most recent campaign, and though he has never played Championship football he brings a wealth of top flight experience across spells with West Ham United, Crystal Palace and Forest, while he has also managed 92 international appearances for Senegal.
Cheikhou Kouyate’s senior career to date
Club/Nation
Appearances (all comps)
Senegal
92
Nottingham Forest
36
Crystal Palace
141
West Ham United
147
Anderlecht
206
Able to play at centre-back as well as in midfield, the 34-year-old is now “undergoing a medical” at Thorp Arch in what comes as a “significant U-turn” after “talks between the two parties had collapsed at the weekend”.
His arrival, should it be completed, will come as a major boost to Leeds’ ranks as they look to mount another promotion push, and he could well be available for Friday’s clash with Sheffield United, though given his time away from football it is unlikely that he will be thrown in straight away by a manager who has publicly pondered the fitness levels of free agents.