Leeds United’s midfield has been hit hard by injuries, with both Ethan Ampadu and Ilia Gruev sidelined. Despite the setbacks, it’s unlikely the Yorkshire club will turn to a free agent to reunite with manager Daniel Farke.
Ampadu is expected to miss the rest of the year, with reports suggesting he could be back in early 2025. Leeds will have to cope without their captain for the foreseeable future, and Ao Tanaka stepped in to fill the gap, making his first start for the club against Norwich City on Tuesday.
Unfortunately, during the 1-1 draw against Norwich, Gruev had to leave the match early due to a knee injury. There’s currently no timeline for his return, which is a setback for the team, as they were likely relying on a Gruev-Tanaka partnership to help offset Ampadu’s absence.
With injuries piling up, Leeds’ squad depth is becoming a concern. As a result, there are questions regarding whether the club may need to consider entering the free-agent market to bolster their roster and navigate this challenging period until their injured players are back on the pitch.
Leeds won’t reunite Daniel Farke
Nonetheless, the Whites are reportedly ruling out pursuing one free agent despite his past ties with current manager Daniel Farke.
According to the Yorkshire Evening Post, Leeds United are not expected to sign former Germany international and 2014 FIFA World Cup winner Christoph Kramer on a free transfer despite injuries to Ampadu and Gruev.
The Post also reports that any attempt by Leeds to bring the 33-year-old in on a short-term deal is likely to be turned down, as Kramer prefers to stay in Germany, where he has been active as a television pundit after spending a decade at Borussia Monchengladbach.
Recently, Farke expressed his interest in becoming a free agent at this stage despite Leeds’ midfield injury crisis and the position’s depth being thin.
“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 they are out of team training since May, that means out of team training [for] five months,” Farke said.
Leave a Reply