Leeds United’s midfield depth has suffered due to injuries to Ethan Ampadu and Ilia Gruev. To address this, the club is exploring free-agent options, with Josuha Guilavogui emerging as a likely target.
The veteran midfielder was spotted at Elland Road on Friday after Leeds United’s win over Sheffield United, fueling speculation about a potential deal.
Leeds United manager Daniel Farke also gave the go-ahead for a free agent signing this week, adding to the growing talk around Guilavogui’s arrival. The 34-year-old is a French international with seven caps and has become a prominent figure at VfL Wolfsburg, where he made 250 appearances and served as the club captain.
Guilavogui established himself as a standout player with Saint-Étienne, making 120 appearances across all competitions, scoring nine goals, and registering seven assists. Moreover, he would win a Coupe de La Ligue with the Ligue 1 side during the 2012-13 season.
Daniel Farke wants a midfielder to bolster position
According to Adam Pope, Daniel Farke is determined to sign a new midfielder for Leeds United to strengthen the squad. Ao Tanaka and Joe Rothwell are providing the midfield play for the Whites, but they need depth behind them should they ever get injured or face suspension.
In recent days, Guilavogui has been rumored to be the player that the Yorkshire side are keen on, and in Leeds United’s last two games, the French player has been captured attending the fixtures.
Pope stated on the most recent podcast episode of Don’t Go To Bed Just Yet that the German looks sure to add a new name to the squad as a free agent, with Cheikhou Kouyate, Francis Coquelin, and Guilavogui all looked at.
“Interesting though he was adamant he’s still looking for a [defensive midfielder] in the market, and the latest one was former French international Josuha Guilavogui isn’t it, who was at Mainz,” Pope said. “So you’ve got Coquelin, you’ve got Kouyate, you’ve got Guilavogui, and he was adamant that he wants it.”
It will be interesting to see if Farke gets his wish and gets a signing done in the coming days because Leeds United cannot count on Tanaka and Rothwell to play all the games from now until the end of the year as the players will need a break at some point.
