Leeds United manager Daniel Farke has revealed he may have to try something he isn’t that keen on doing if the injury to Ilia Gruev is a serious one.
It has been a steady start to the campaign for the Whites, unbeaten in their last three games, but concerns are starting to creep in as injuries mount up at Elland Road. Therefore, it is no surprise to see the Championship club linked with potential new arrivals at the start of 2025.
Leeds transfer news
The Yorkshire side are among the teams interested in signing Port Vale youngster Karl Agnero. They face competition from Stoke City and Norwich City for the 16-year-old, as well as other teams from the Championship and the Premier League. Agnero has been putting in some impressive displays in Port Vale’s under-18s and was handed his first team debut earlier this season in the EFL Trophy against Wolves’ under-21s.
Agnero is not the only young star that Leeds are keeping an eye on, as the Whites are also interested in Bristol Rovers’ Kofi Shaw. The 17-year-old has broken into the first team this season and has caught the eye of Leeds and Aston Villa.
The Yorkshire side have been backed to sign Shaw by talkSPORT pundit Carlton Palmer, who thinks that if the club want to find their next Archie Gray, then Shaw could cost them just £5 million. But deals for these players cannot be done until January, and with Leeds lacking squad depth, Farke may have to start looking at quicker solutions.
Farke makes free agent admission amid Leeds injury crisis
Daniel Farke has now revealed that he may have to look at the free agent market, but it is something he doesn’t wish to do. Leeds are currently in the midst of an injury crisis, with Gruev being the latest player to pick up a problem.
The Whites look set to be without Max Wober and Ethan Ampadu for some time due to knee injuries, and now Gruev, who picked up an issue in the game against Norwich City, could face an extended spell out as well. Farke has now revealed in his press conference that while he isn’t a fan of signing players who are out of contract in October, it may be something they have to check and see if it suits them.
As quoted by The72, Farke said: “First of all, we wait a bit for the outcome with Ilia’s injury and how long he will be out. If it would be really a long-term injury I think it’s one of our professional duties to be aware and also to check who is perhaps available and what we could do.
“If I’m really honest, I’m not a big friend of signing players who are out of contract in the beginning of October, because it means, more or less, they are out of team training since May. That means they are out of team training since whatever, five months.
“And even if you bring them in, it lasts also a while until they are really ready to go and fully fit and really could play first team football and then, quite often the player who is right now injured for the next few weeks, he’s even back in perhaps and ready to go earlier than the players who are out for since five months.
“I think quite often it’s a bit like a panic buy or like to pretend to do something anyhow. I think it’s professional to check it, and sometimes, out of coincidence or out of a special situation, there could be someone out who really suits the needs in this moment.”
