Leeds United have already signed one free agent since the closure of the transfer window and another remains on their radar, but Paul Heckingbottom could beat his old employers to the punch.
Josuha Guilavogui was drafted in by Daniel Farke as emergency cover for Joe Rodon and Pascal Struijk at centre-back, and Joe Rothwell and Ao Tanaka in midfield with three key Leeds players suffering injuries.
Max Wober, Ethan Ampadu and Ilia Gruev all picked up long-term knee issues and it meant Leeds were light in terms of cover. Farke chose to bring in an elder player that could help cover both positions.
The former Atletico Madrid ace has made an impact and Isaac Schmidt even compared Guilavogui to Zinedine Zidane on Saturday, after his second outing. But another free agent is of interest to The Whites.
Paul Heckingbottom wants reunion with long-term Leeds target
Ryan Kent’s name continues to be touted as a possible target for Leeds. Now, he is more attainable than ever after his contract with Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce was cancelled, leaving Kent as a free agent.
A Sun report said Leeds are long-term admirers of Kent, with The Whites linked with a move for the former Liverpool and Rangers star for a number of seasons. But Preston look like they are in pole position.
The Sun’s Alan Nixon claims on his Patreon channel that old Elland Road boss Paul Heckingbottom wants to sign Kent. A player he had on loan at Barnsley before moving to Leeds, where Kent made his name.
How close have Leeds come to signing Ryan Kent in the past?
Back in the summer of 2020, Steven Gerrard publicly confirmed Leeds had seen a bid of £10m rejected for Kent, as per the BBC. Marcelo Bielsa was a keen admirer of the Rangers star while at Elland Road.
Then, in the summer, Leeds had supposedly made an offer of just £2.5m to sign Kent. But nothing came of it and he has since been released by Fenerbahce, having joined the Turkish giants on a free transfer.
His downfall in Turkey came when Fener signed Dusan Tadic from Ajax in the summer. Both left-sided wingers, but Tadic the obvious option between the two. Leeds have been linked, but are unlikely now.
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