Leeds United may benefit from the international break since it allows injured players to rest and recover.
Daniel James and Manor Solomon have been absent in recent weeks due to short-to-medium-term injuries, and this two-week rest will put them closer to being ready for selection.
However, it will not alleviate the club’s concerns in the middle of the park, since Ilia Gruev and Ethan Ampadu are scheduled to be out of action until after the new year.
Daniel Farke’s first-choice midfield will be unavailable for the next few months after both players were removed in the first half against Norwich City earlier this month and Cardiff City in September.
As things stand, the German manager’s only senior central midfield alternatives for the Whites between now and the January transfer window are Ao Tanaka and Joe Rothwell.
However, Leeds still has the option of entering the free agent market to recruit another midfielder, and they are apparently interested in a former Premier League great.
Leeds eyeing up free agent midfielder
According to The Boot Room, the West Yorkshire-based outfit has agreed to sign former Nottingham Forest defensive midfielder Chiekhou Kouyate on a free transfer.
Following the injuries to Gruev and Ampadu, the Whites analysed the free agent market and chose to sign the former Premier League ace.
According to reports, the 34-year-old titan finished his physical in Yorkshire on Friday and will now finalise a move this weekend.
According to Graham Smyth of the Yorkshire Evening Post, the Senegal international was among many free agent midfielders being considered.
Leeds appear to have determined that he was the best alternative and have agreed to sign him to a one-year contract with the possibility of extending it for another season.
According to Transfermarkt, Kouyate is the seventh most expensive free agent holding midfielder available, costing €1 million (£800,000), behind Francis Coquelin, Etienne Capoue, and Christoph Kramer.
His extensive experience in England and positional qualities, however, suggest that he may be an excellent short-term addition to the Whites if the transfer goes through as anticipated.
Chiekhou Kouyate’s Premier League experience
The Senegal international went to England from Anderlecht in the summer of 2014 to join West Ham United, where he spent four years.
He contributed 15 goals and 8 assists in 147 appearances in all competitions, helping his team avoid relegation in all four seasons, including at least 31 Premier League matches each season.
Crystal Palace paid a reported amount of £9.5 million to recruit the experienced midfielder, who had previously played in the Premier League for West Ham.
The now-34-year-old colossus played four years with the Eagles, contributing three goals and four assists in 141 appearances across all competitions.
Kouyate, branded a “fantastic character” by manager Steve Cooper, elected to move on from Selhurst Park and was signed up by newly-promoted Nottingham Forest in the summer of 2022. He helped the Tricky Trees avoid promotion in his first season with the club.
| 22/23 Premier League | Chiekhou Kouyate |
|---|---|
| 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% |
| Stats via Sofascore | |
As shown in the table above, Kouyate did not appear every week, but he did demonstrate his defensive strength when called upon, winning the vast majority of his aerial duels and the majority of his ground clashes.
During the 2023/24 Premier League season, he only appeared in 12 games and made two starts, indicating a reduced role in the squad. He was later dismissed earlier this year.
Why Kouyate could be Ampadu 2.0
The 34-year-old, who turns 35 in December, is definitely not a long-term solution to Leeds’ midfield difficulties, and he may not even be a realistic option week in and week out in the short term, but he might provide crucial cover as an Ampadu 2.0 for Farke.
Kouyate has made 173 club appearances in defence and 255 in central or defensive midfield, demonstrating his versatility. This means that the Whites might play him at the back or in the centre of the pitch.
Last season, Ampadu played 24 games as a centre-back and 30 as a defensive midfielder, demonstrating his versatility.
As previously stated, the Wales international is expected to be out of action until at least the beginning of 2025, which means Farke will miss the cover he provides at centre-back and in midfield, especially with Max Wober also out due to injury, leaving Joe Rodon and Pascal Struijk as the only senior options in the backline.
| 24/25 Championship | Ethan Ampadu |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 5 |
| Sofascore rating | 7.24 |
| Tackles + interceptions per game | 4.0 |
| Ground duel success rate | 68% |
| Aerial duel success rate | 78% |
| Stats via Sofascore | |
Before his knee injury, Ampadu had a solid start to the current Championship season, winning the bulk of his duels both on the ground and in the air (see table above).
Kouyate, like the Welsh enforcer, is dominating in the air, as evidenced by his aforementioned statistics for Forest in the 2022/23 Premier League season, and could give a formidable presence at the base of Leeds’ midfield or in the heart of their defence.
Given his paucity of game time in recent seasons, the Senegalese star is not the perfect solution to Farke’s midfield concerns. However, he appears to have the characteristics and adaptability to be a solid short-term option.
Hopefully, everything goes well this weekend, and Leeds can finalise the transfer and have him in training before the team’s return to action against Sheffield United next week.
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