Leeds linked with two stellar free agent midfield signings as Farke makes big claim over ‘panic’ buy

Daniel Farke has hinted Leeds could be ready to dip their toes into the free-agent market with two players touted as possible targets, and with one respected pundit issuing a worrying update on injury setbacks suffered by Ethan Ampadu and Ilia Gruev.

The Whites have started the season brightly as they look to bounce back from last season’s promotion near miss and have lost just once in their eight matches so far to currently sit fifth in the embryonic Championship table. Leeds, though, could hit top spot on Friday night if they can claim a win at the home of early pacesetters Sunderland.

While winning at the Stadium of Light will be a difficult task – the Black Cats are four from four at home and yet to concede a goal on their own turf – Leeds will travel with optimism after some relatively impressive displays in recent games.

However, their quest for promotion has been made doubly difficult with two big injuries sustained by their first-choice midfield pair Ampadu and Gruev – both of whom could face prolonged spells on the sidelines.

As a result, Leeds have been left with no option but to turn to the free-transfer market and now two unattached midfielders – former West Ham and Nottingham Forest man, Cheikhou Kouyate and Christoph Kramer, most recently of Borussia Monchengladbach – have been touted as potential targets by the Yorkshire Post.

Jack Cork, another potential option, has been taken off the market after he re-signed for Burnley in a player-academy coach capacity.

Discussing the possibility of dipping their toes into the free-agency market, Farke insists Leeds would not be forced into a panic signing.

“It is professional of us to check who is available and what we could do, but to be honest, I am not a big fan of signing people out of contract when you get to October,” Farke told a press conference.

“They have been out of training for months, so it may take them a while to get up to speed and a player who is injured could be back before the new signing is ready.

“It can be a panic signing. It is professional to check to see if there is someone who suits the needs, but I am not a big believer of it. But let’s see. First, we wait and hope for the outcome of Ilia Gruev. Sometimes though it could be bad for the whole group. It can send a sign to other players we don’t trust them.”

IN-DEPTH ➡️ The five best free agents in each position available after the 2024 summer transfer window

Farke sweating on Gruev update as Sky Sports pundit makes worrying claim

Leeds will first wait for news on just how long Gruev will be sidelined for, but having been a regular in their engine room since the turn of the year, any spell on the sidelines would represent another crushing blow.

Leeds do have summer signings Ao Tanaka and Joe Rothwell as options, but both are slightly more attack-minded and neither offer the defence the same cover that Gruev or certainly Ampadu do.

“We will first wait and see on Ilia and see,” Farke stated, before adding: “I trust my whole squad.

“It is important to trust the players and back these players. We are in a competitive environment where everyone is sharp and ready to go.”

Former Senegal international Kouyate last appeared in the Premier League for Nottingham Forest, making 36 appearances before being released in the summer. Now 34, he boasts a wealth of experience having previously played for West Ham and Crystal Palace.

Kramer, meanwhile, is a player well-known to Farke, having played under him at Borussia Monchengladbach. The 12-times capped former Germany international though is now 33.

Either way, EFL pundit Jobi McAnuff has told the BBC 72+ podcast that injuries to both Ampadu and Gruev could prove massively problematic for Leeds.

“Yeah for sure, I think particularly in that midfield area which is obviously his preferred position and where he’s gone back into this season. With Gruev as well having gone off very early in the game, that is going to be a real area of concern at Leeds United.

“Obviously lost [Glen] Kamara and Archie Gray in the summer, that is probably the one area where you look at that squad and feel if they were to get one or two, which they have got now, they are going to be really stretched. Really interesting to see how that plays out in the coming weeks.”

Leeds scout Port Vale teenager / Whites urged to tie down Junior Firpo

Elsewhere, TEAMtalk can exclusively reveal Whites are keeping a close watch on coveted Port Vale youngster Karl Agnero.

The 16-year-old has been earning rave reviews for their U18s side and is tipped as a big star in the making. Having recently made his senior debut in a EFL Trophy clash, Leeds scouts have been deployed to check on his progress, but with competition also emerging from two Championship rivals.

Meanwhile, the future of Junior Firpo continues to cause debate.

The Dominican Republic international has been one of Leeds’ most consistent performers this calendar year and is a vital member of Farke’s side, proving to be one of the first names on the teamsheet.

However, his deal expires at the end of the season and TEAMtalk revealed that, while the player is open to signing an extension, a decision over his future has been put on the backburner.

Despite that, one of the Whites’ former midfielders has urged the club not to risk losing the former Barcelona man – a £12.9m signing back in 2021 – on a free transfer and amid links to one of his former clubs.

How does Kouyate compare to Gruev and Ampadu?

Ampadu and Gruev both joined Leeds United in the summer of 2023 and enjoyed impressive debut seasons at Elland Road.

Ampadu started all of their league games in the run to the Championship play-off final and Gruev made 32 league appearances throughout the season.

The Wales international averaged 1.6 successful tackles and 2.2 clearances per 90 minutes, while Gruev averaged 2.3 successful tackles and 0.6 clearances per 90 minutes in 2023/24.

Kouyate didn’t feature much for Nottingham Forest last season but did make 21 Premier League appearances for the club in the 2022/23 season.

He averaged 3.0 successful tackles per 90 minutes in the Premier League that season and also made 2.4 clearances per 90 minutes, which puts him ahead of the Leeds duo.

Kouyate also comes out on top for successful aerial duels as his record of 1.8 per 90 minutes is better than Ampadu’s (1.4) and Gruev’s (0.9).

But the Senegal international isn’t renowned for his on-the-ball qualities as he made just 25.1 passes per 90 minutes in 2022/23 and had a total pass success rate of 75.5 per cent.

In comparison, Ampadu averaged 71.9 passes per 90 minutes and had an 89.1 per cent pass success rate. Gruev had a 92.6 per cent pass success rate and made 58.2 passes per 90 minutes.

Gruev and Ampadu both created 0.8 chances per 90 minutes last season and Kouyate follows closely behind with 0.7 key passes per 90.

In the final third, Gruev got a goal and an assist in 2023/24 while Ampadu registered a single assist and Kouyate scored one league goal in 2022/23.