Several reports had linked former Nottingham Forest veteran Cheikhou Kouyaté with a potential move to Leeds as they aimed to strengthen their midfield following injuries to Ethan Ampadu and Ilia Gruev. Now, there’s new information on this file.
Ampadu is out for the remainder of 2024 due to a lateral collateral ligament (LCL) injury, and while it’s a serious setback, it’s not as severe as an ACL tear, and the player should return to the pitch in the early weeks of 2025. As for Gruev, he is set to miss several months as he underwent surgery for a meniscus injury.
However, Football Insider revealed over the weekend that Leeds have backed out of the deal. The club had been in talks with Kouyaté’s camp, but they’ve now decided to end discussions.
Despite Kouyaté’s experience piquing the interest of Leeds’ decision-makers, the move won’t go ahead. The transfer seemed promising at one stage, but negotiations didn’t progress as expected.
Cheikhou Kouyaté to Leeds happening after all?
Football Insider reported on Tuesday that the Whites have reversed their decision on this file. Their information reveals that Kouyate is undergoing a medical at Leeds Tuesday after the club decided to sign him.
Nonetheless, the information doesn’t reveal why Leeds changed its mind, and now it will be interesting to see if a deal is completed this week. Perhaps the Whites had a back-and-forth internal discussion over their midfield depth and opted to revisit this file, understanding that they could not add any depth until January.
Kouyaté has been a free agent since leaving Nottingham Forest this summer, where he spent two years and made 36 appearances. Last season, the 92-cap Senegal international only started twice and came off the bench 10 times, playing a total of 208 minutes as Forest secured their Premier League status.
With 291 Premier League appearances during his time at West Ham, Crystal Palace, and Nottingham Forest, the 34-year-old could add valuable experience to the Leeds group. He’s also had success abroad, winning four league titles in Belgium and the Africa Cup of Nations with Senegal.
The veteran will be asked to be a depth behind and help hold the fort for the rest of the year.
