Leeds United medical 'underway' as Whites turn to ex-West Ham & Crystal Palace star to solve injury crisis
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Leeds United have reportedly decided to sign ex-West Ham United and Crystal Palace midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate, with a medical said to have been underway in West Yorkshire on Tuesday.
The Senegal international has been without a club since being released by Nottingham Forest at the end of last season. As first reported by The Yorkshire Evening Post, Leeds had looked at Kouyate along with a handful of other free agents to help solve their midfield injury crisis.
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Hide AdThe Elland Road outfit have seen Ethan Ampadu and Ilia Gruev ruled out until 2025, with the latter not predicted to return until around March. With the transfer window closed, Leeds have turned to the free agent market in a bid to bolster their ranks with Kouyate the one player strongly linked. Football Insider reported on Tuesday that a medical was taking place after Leeds decided to sign the player. The Whites had reportedly been considering alternative targets after talks broke down over the weekend but discussions were revived as the Yorkshire club seeks the defensive midfield cover they need to challenge for promotion to the Premier League.
Kouyate, who is now 34, first arrived in England after signing for West Ham in 2014 and spent four years with the Irons before making the move to London rivals Crystal Palace in 2018, where he also had a four-year spell. Back in 2022, it was reported that Kouyaté’s time at Selhurst Park ended after he failed to agree a new contract with the club, as he requested a two-year deal but the Eagles were only willing to offer another 12 months. He played 147 times for West Ham, scoring 15 goals in that time and then turned out 141 times for Palace, scoring three times.
Leeds manager Daniel Farke has openly expressed his desire to look at the free agent market following the injuries to Ampadu and Gruev but admitted that it would take time to get any new arrival up to speed.
He said: "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 even back in perhaps and ready to go earlier than the players who are out for since five months.
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Hide Ad"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."
If a move for Kouyate is completed, he could be in line to face Millwall and Queens Park Rangers, with Leeds taking on the London clubs at the start of November in two Championship contests on November 6 and November 9, respectively.
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