This week, the Yorkshire Evening Post’s Graham Smyth reports that Leeds United are considering Cheikhou Kouyaté to bolster their thinning midfield depth following the injuries to Ethan Ampadu and Ilia Gruev.
Kouyaté has been a free agent since the summer after Nottingham Forest released him following a two-year stint where he made 36 appearances. Last season, the Senegal international, with 92 caps, started just two games and came off the bench 10 times, playing a total of 208 minutes as Forest managed to stay up.
With 291 Premier League appearances from his time at West Ham United, Crystal Palace, and Nottingham Forest, the 34-year-old would bring significant experience to the Leeds group. He’s also enjoyed success, winning four league titles in Belgium and an African Cup of Nations with Senegal.
What’s the latest on Cheikhou Kouyaté joining Leeds?
On Friday, journalist Ben Jacobs reported on Friday that Leeds are exploring the possibility of signing Kouyaté on a free transfer, though the deal is not finalized yet despite reports of a medical exam.
Leeds are exploring a deal to sign Cheikhou Kouyaté on a free transfer.
Not a done deal as of tonight despite reports of a medical exam.
Parties have discussed a short-term contract until the end of the season.
Leeds will make a final decision soon.⚪️ pic.twitter.com/A1FhVx31bn
— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) October 11, 2024
The two sides have discussed a short-term contract that would run until the end of the season, and Leeds are expected to make a final decision soon. On Saturday, Leeds Live reported, citing sources, that neither has a deal been struck nor is it at an advanced stage for Kouyaté.
The Yorkshire side are likely giving serious thought to his fitness before making a decision. The midfielder hasn’t played more than 1,000 minutes of league football since the 2021-22 season.
Leeds will be without Ampadu and Gruev for the foreseeable future after the two midfielders suffered knee injuries. Ampadu will be out for the rest of 2024 after suffering an injury to his lateral collateral ligament (LCL) rather than the more serious anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).
As for Gruev, the midfielder will miss months rather than weeks and undergo surgery on his meniscus after sustaining his knee injury.
Ao Tanaka and Joe Rothwell provide some midfield experience, but the options behind them are either makeshift or unproven, which is why it will be interesting to see if Leeds decides to sign Kouyaté.
