The international break has potentially come at a good time for Leeds United because it gives their injured contingent time to recover from their problems.
Daniel James and Manor Solomon have been absent in recent weeks with short-to-mid-term injury issues and this two-week break will bring them closer to being available for selection.
However, it will not solve the club’s issues in the middle of the park, as Ilia Gruev and Ethan Ampadu are both expected to be out of action until after the turn of the year.
The former was taken off in the first half against Norwich City earlier this month and the latter was withdrawn in the first half away at Cardiff City in September, with Daniel Farke’s first-choice midfield now set to be unavailable for the next few months.
This has left the Whites with Ao Tanaka and Joe Rothwell as the only senior central midfield options for the German head coach between now and the January transfer window, as it stands.
However, Leeds do still have the option to dip their hand into the free agent market to add another player to their midfield ranks, and they are reportedly looking at a former Premier League star.
Leeds eyeing up free agent midfielder
According to The Boot Room, the West Yorkshire-based outfit have agreed a deal to sign former Nottingham Forest defensive midfielder Chiekhou Kouyate on a free transfer.
After the injuries to Gruev and Ampadu, the Whites have assessed the free agent market and have decided to swoop for the ex-Premier League ace.
The report claims that the 34-year-old titan completed his medical in Yorkshire on Friday and will now put the finishing touches over a move this weekend.
This comes after Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Graham Smyth claimed that the Senegal international was one of a number of free agent midfielders under consideration.
Leeds have seemingly decided that he was the best option and have agreed a one-year contract, with the option of a further season, to bring him to the club.
Per Transfermarkt, Kouyate is the joint-seventh most expensive free agent holding midfielder available, at €1m (£800k), behind the likes of Francis Coquelin, Etienne Capoue, and Christoph Kramer.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
His vast experience in England and positional qualities, though, mean that he could be a very sensible short-term addition for the Whites, if this deal goes ahead as planned.
Chiekhou Kouyate's Premier League experience
The Senegal international first moved to England from Anderlecht to join West Ham United in the summer of 2014 and spent four years with the Hammers.
He racked up 15 goals and eight assists in 147 appearances in all competitions to help his side to avoid relegation in all four of those seasons, with at least 31 outings in the Premier League each term.
In the summer of 2018, Crystal Palace swooped to sign the experienced star, who had proven himself to be a capable performer by featuring regularly in the top flight for West Ham for years, for a reported fee of £9.5m to bolster Roy Hodgson’s options in midfield.
The now-34-year-old colossus spent four years with the Eagles and contributed with three goals and four assists in 141 appearances in all competitions.
Kouyate, who was dubbed a “fantastic character” by manager Steve Cooper, opted to move on from Selhurst Park and was snapped up by newly-promoted Nottingham Forest in the summer of 2022, helping the Tricky Trees to avoid promotion in his first season with the club.
Appearances
21
Starts
10
Tackles + interceptions per game
1.9
Dribbles completed per game
0.2
Ground duel success rate
58%
Aerial duel success rate
69%
As you can see in the table above, Kouyate did not feature week-in-week-out but did showcase his defensive strength when called upon, winning the vast majority of his duels in the air and most of his battles on the ground.
He then played just 12 games and started twice in the Premier League during the 2023/24 campaign, as he seemingly shifted to a bit-part role in the squad, before being released earlier this year.
Why Kouyate could be Ampadu 2.0
The 34-year-old, who turns 35 in December, is clearly not going to be a long-term solution to any of Leeds’ problems in midfield and may not even be a viable option week-in-week-out in the short-term, but he could provide vital cover as an Ampadu 2.0 for Farke.
Kouyate is adept at playing at centre-back and in defensive midfield, with 173 career club appearances in defence and 255 in central or defensive midfield. This means that the Whites could comfortably deploy him at the back or in the middle of the park.
Last season, Ampadu played 24 games at centre-back and 30 in a defensive midfield role, which shows that he is also a versatile star who can be used in several positions.
The Wales international, as aforementioned, is set to be out of action until the start of 2025 at the earliest and that means that Farke will miss the cover that he provides at centre-back and in midfield, particularly with Max Wober also missing through injury – leaving Joe Rodon and Pascal Struijk as the only senior options in the middle of the backline.
Appearances
5
Sofascore rating
7.24
Tackles + interceptions per game
4.0
Ground duel success rate
68%
Aerial duel success rate
78%
As you can see in the table above, Ampadu made a strong start to the current Championship season before his knee injury, winning the majority of his duels on the ground and in the air.
Kouyate, like the Welsh enforcer, is also dominant in the air, as shown by his aforementioned statistics for Forest in the 2022/23 Premier League season, and could provide a strong presence at the base of the midfield or at the heart of the defence for Leeds.
The Senegalese star is not the perfect solution to Farke’s midfield issues, given his lack of game time in recent seasons, but does appear to have the attributes and versatility to be a solid short-term option.
Leeds ace started over £84m-rated star for his country and was astonishing
The Whites star’s confidence will surely be boosted by his efforts for Spain.
ByDan EmeryOct 11, 2024
Hopefully, all goes well this weekend and Leeds can wrap up the deal and have him in training ahead of the team’s return to action against Sheffield United next week.