It looks like another day will pass by without Leeds United completing an incoming transfer.
It is now over a month since Leeds last completed a new signing and after Daniel Farke‘s press conference ahead of Sheffield Wednesday, to say patience is wearing thin would be an understatement.
Farke all but confirmed there would be no signings through the door before the trip to Hillsborough, despite the attacking horror show everyone witnessed at West Bromwich Albion last weekend.
It is difficult to understand how Leeds can deem it acceptable to go into yet another game without finding a replacement for at least one of Georginio Rutter or Crysencio Summerville.
Having said that, it would be fair to say links have started picking up in the last few days, though that simply has to start turning into concrete action given how long of the window is left.
What Klopp once said about new Leeds target Hannibal Mejbri
It is well documented that full-back, central midfield and two attackers are where Farke wants to strengthen.
Attack certainly seems as though it has been the more pressing focus but a couple of new midfielders have emerged on the radar over the course of today.
Leeds are said to be in the race for Lausanne-Sport’s Alvyn Sanches, but interest in Manchester United’s Hannibal Mejbri is one more likely to get the pulses racing.
Hannibal is likely to leave Old Trafford before the end of the window and Leeds look set to battle it out with Burnley for his signature.
Despite now being surplus to requirements, Hannibal has had experience of first team football at Manchester United and on just his second appearance for the club, riled out Jurgen Klopp.
Hannibal was brought off the bench in the final minutes with Man United 4-0 down at Anfield, and proceeded to put himself about by making a couple of bad fouls.
On commentary, Gary Neville actually praised Hannibal for the aggression he showed after coming on, comments he later apologised for.
Speaking to the Guardian, at the time Liverpool boss Klopp was critical of Hannibal for the way he was endangering his players when the game was already gone.
He said: “He had to apologise for that, rightly so. I understand where he is coming from. Obviously you want to see some aggression, but there is a difference between aggression and kicking players.
“Aggression in football means you are ready to hurt yourself, not the other one. I don’t blame the kid [Hannibal], he came on and the game was a bit quick, and he was a bit late here and there. It’s all good.
“Aggression in football is absolutely fine but you cannot sort your own problems by hurting the opposition players, that is what I have never understood.
“Of course things can happen in football, it is a high-speed game, but not these kind of things where you don’t care about another colleague who wants to play again in a few days time as well.”
Hannibal is renowned for his aggression
Though he certainly possesses some other attributes than aggression that would add to Leeds’ midfield, this is not the first time he has been asked to tone it down a tad.
Hannibal has already spent one season out on loan in the Championship at Birmingham City, in which then manager John Eustace had to send him a little warning in the press.
Via the Daily Star, he said: “I was contemplating bringing him [Hannibal] off at half-time, if I am going to be honest. I spoke to him, spoke to the staff and he assured me he’d be OK. I think it lasted about four minutes.
“It’s something we have got to watch but he plays on the edge, that’s why he’s so good, a top player. I am certainly not going to stop him from doing what he does but he has to realise the importance of managing the games at times.
“He didn’t get sent off so it makes no difference to me, we brought him off because he was running the risk and that’s it. He might have got sent off on another day and when he made that tackle I thought ‘I have got to get him off’.”
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