Leeds could sign amazing Kouyate alternative who’s like Kante

Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke has been dealt several blows to his first-team squad with a string of unfortunate injury issues in recent weeks.

Central defender Max Wober, who returned to the club after a loan spell with Borussia Monchengladbach last season, has suffered a knee injury and is not expected back for another five weeks or so.

Meanwhile, central midfielders Ilia Gruev and Ethan Ampadu have also been dealt blows as they are set to be out of action until 2025, both with knee injuries.

Ampadu was forced off in the first-half of the win away at Cardiff City before Gruev came off in the first-half of the 1-1 draw away at Norwich City, which has left the Whites light in the middle of the park.

Farke’s only senior options in central midfield are currently Ao Tanaka, who is currently away on international duty with Japan, and Joe Rothwell, with both players having joined during the summer transfer window.

This has forced the former Monchengladbach and Norwich head coach to consider the free agent market, with Chiekhou Kouyate emerging as a possible option for the West Yorkshire-based side.

Leeds United’s interest in Chiekhou Kouyate

The Boot Room had initially reported that the Whites had already agreed a deal with the former Nottingham Forest enforcer, who left the Tricky Trees at the end of last season.

It was claimed that the colossus was due to undergo a medical and finalise his move to the club over the weekend and that they had agreed a one-year contract, with an option to extend it by a further 12 months.

However, LeedsLive followed up on that and insisted that no deal has been struck with the 34-year-old star and that the club are still assessing their options in the free agent market.

LeedsLive added that Kouyate remains an active target for the Whites and is still a player who could arrive at Elland Road to bolster their options in the middle of the park.

However, they have not reached an agreement with the defensive midfielder on personal terms and a move for the Senegal international is not thought to be advanced at this moment in time.

Interestingly, the report revealed that Kouyate is simply one of a number of free agent players the club are monitoring with a view to potentially adding them to the playing squad to alleviate their current injury woes.

With this in mind, Leeds could forget about the former West Ham United and Crystal Palace ace by swooping for fellow out-of-contract midfielder Francis Coquelin.

Why Leeds should swoop for Francis Coquelin

The French enforcer is not out with a long-term injury and is, instead, looking for the right club to take the next step in his career, after being turned down by several Ligue 1 sides.

Coquelin recently revealed that Montpellier and Lille both went with alternative targets to him after initial interest, and that he has set himself a deadline of the end of January to find a new team.

The 33-year-old ace left Villarreal at the end of his contract in July and has been without a club since then, after a solid showing in LaLiga with the Spanish outfit.

As you can see in the table above, Coquelin made 17 appearances in the top-flight last term and showcased his quality in and out of possession, remaining composed on the ball whilst also being able to disrupt the opposition with tackles, interceptions, and recoveries.

All 17 of those outings also came within the last six months of the season, after he missed the first half of the campaign with a knee injury, which means that he has played plenty of football this calendar year – albeit not this term.

Coquelin was once compared to Premier League legend N’Golo Kante by ex-boss Arsene Wenger at Arsenal, as the French boss described both players as ball-winners who can win possession without committing fouls.

The 33-year-old ace, who played 160 matches for the Gunners and 105 times in the Premier League, continues to live up to that description with 2.1 tackles and interceptions and 1.1 fouls per game in LaLiga last season, which shows that he wins the ball back more often than he commits fouls.

Leeds must now attempt to persuade the former Arsenal man to return to England for a stint in the Championship, as he could be a better option than Kouyate, who could be particularly rusty in comparison.

Why Coquelin is a better alternative to Kouyate

In the 2023/24 campaign, the Senegal international only made 12 appearances in the Premier League and started two matches for Nottingham Forest, before his release in the summer.

Only two of those outings were in the second half of the season and he has not started a league game at club level since December 2023, ten months ago.

This means that it could take Kouyate a long time to get back up to speed and to be ready to feature for Leeds, whereas Coquelin was playing regularly for Villarreal in LaLiga – one of Europe’s major leagues – in the second half of last term.

Therefore, the French free agent could make more sense for the Whites given their need for short-term reinforcements in the middle of the park, as his relatively recent performances for Villarreal suggest that he is more likely to hit the ground running than Kouyate.

Coquelin could also be a better option due to his suitability for the style of play. Leeds have averaged 59.7% of possession in their matches this season and, therefore, need midfielders who are comfortable on the ball to dictate matches.

As you can see in the table above, the former Arsenal man was significantly better in possession for his respective team than Kouyate was last term.

He could offer far more to the Whites in possession, as a composed and reliable presence on the ball in his half and in the opposition’s, and that is another reason why the club should swoop for him instead of the ex-Nottingham Forest man.