Leeds United fans have been having a mixed week. On one hand, the club announced another signing, but the events of these past few days have disrupted the fanbase.
The Whites moved quick to complete the signings of Lukas Nmecha, Jaka Bijol and Sebastiaan Bornauw. Daniel Farke has effectively bolstered a large chunk of the spine of the team. And it looked like Leeds had planned to add a midfielder, with many targets being rumoured.
The likes of Habib Diarra, Sean Longstaff and Valentin Atangana were all linked with a move to Elland Road
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Sunderland reflect on signing Leeds United target
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Leeds had a bid for Diarra and were locked in talks with Strasbourg over a move. Then Sunderland swooped in and completed the transfer overnight. Graeme Bailey believes that the Whites were not keen on Diarra’s transfer fee, which halted a deal.
Diarra has now officially been unveiled as a Sunderland player. Black Cats boss Regis Le Bris was pleased to announce that the player chose to come to the Stadium of Light:
“We’re very happy,” Le Bris said.
“We chose each other, but most of all Habib chose Sunderland. It’s normal for a profile like him to have interest from top clubs across Europe, and the fact he picked us shows he shares our ambition and vision.
Some Leeds fans may take this as a swipe at the club after they failed to secure a deal for the star midfielder.
“He immediately connected with the values of the club – strong team spirit, high energy, and leadership. He can give a huge contribution to the group, because he brings qualities that align perfectly with what we’re building, both on and off the pitch, as we take this next step into the Premier League.”
Leeds miss out on quality player
Habib Diarra would have been a huge addition to this squad. His style of play meshes so well with the current options at the club. Leeds needed a midfielder who can do a variety of actions.
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Diarra could win the ball, and carry it in transition. The Senegalese international is also very good at chance creation. Hopefully Leeds secure the deal for Anton Stach soon.
No better than we have already got.
Just because Leeds showed interest doesn’t mean they were going to buy him. Any muppet can throw money at a player to get him in. Some teams actually look at value and make a decision as to what a player is worth. Obviously not something they do at Sunderland.