With the FIFA international break behind us, club football is back, and so are the concerns over Leeds’ midfield injury crisis. While the Whites can likely breathe a sigh of relief with Ao Tanaka returning without injury, the question of depth remains a major concern.
Several reports have linked former Nottingham Forest veteran Cheikhou Kouyaté, but there’s conflicting information about whether a deal will be reached between the two sides.
However, no agreement has been made with Kouyaté, and it appears that the Whites will be weighing their options if they intend to pursue a midfielder in free agency.
A midfielder from Germany?
Football Insider reported on Wednesday that Leeds are set to welcome an unnamed German footballer for a trial this week. The outlet also reported that the Yorkshire side have pulled the plug on a potential deal to sign Kouyaté after he failed his medical at the club.
Now that the potential deal to sign Kouyate is over, Leeds must dip back into the free-agent market to assess other options. The report doesn’t reveal the player name that will be arriving, but the only German linked to Leeds is former Borussia Mönchengladbach standout Christoph Kramer.
Still, a recent report from the Yorkshire Evening Post’s Joe Donnohue reveals that the 2014 FIFA World Cup winner is unlikely to reunite with his former manager at Leeds despite the club’s immediate need for midfield reinforcements.
“Looking at the list of complimentary agents available, there’s not a great deal of them who you think could potentially come in,” Donnohue told the YEP’s Inside Elland Road podcast last week.
“I spoke to people in Germany about Christoph Kramer, who obviously won the World Cup with Germany in 2014, played under Farke during the 2022-23 season at Borussia Monchengladbach but left this summer, mutually terminated his contract after it became obvious he wasn’t going to play.
“He’s had his injury issues. As far as I’m aware, I’ve been told he hasn’t been involved in a professional setting since leaving his Monchengladbach contract and his preference is supposedly to remain in Germany. He’s got punditry work where apparently he’s made a good impression.
“He’s 33-years-old. Ultimately, how much of an impact would he have if he were persuaded to come and join Daniel Farke? People I spoke to in Germany certainly can’t see it happening, or it being a likely one. You never rule things out in football but it’s not one I think is likely.”
