On Sunday, Football Insider reported that Leeds United had backed out of a potential deal to sign Cheikhou Kouyaté. However, on Monday, conflicting information was provided regarding whether the Whites would sign the veteran.
Football Insider revealed that talks had been held with the former Nottingham Forest, Crystal Palace, and West Ham midfielder, but they have decided not to proceed with the negotiations.
Despite Kouyaté’s experience initially sparking interest from the Leeds hierarchy, the discussions failed to progress as expected, leading the club to abandon their pursuit.
Leeds may be looking to bolster their midfield after losing Ethan Ampadu for the rest of 2024 with an LCL injury. While it’s serious, it’s not as severe as an ACL tear.
Ilia Gruev is also set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines as he needs surgery for a meniscus injury, which will keep him out for months. The club is likely keeping a close eye on his fitness, as he hasn’t played more than 1,000 league minutes since the 2021-22 season.
With only Joe Rothwell and Ao Tanaka available as senior options for Farke in midfield, the Whites have turned to free-agent Kouyaté as a short-term solution.
Cheikhou Kouyaté to Leeds United could still happen?
TeamTALK reported on Monday that Leeds are set to decide within the next day or two about signing Kouyaté on a short-term deal, with manager Daniel Farke having the final say.
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.
It will be interesting to see if a deal gets done before Friday’s clash against Sheffield United or whether Leeds will withstand these injuries and wait until the January transfer window.
