Farke green lights Leeds plan to sign midfielder with seven-times capped France international favoured

Leeds United boss Daniel Farke has confirmed plans to bring in a free-agent midfield signing this week following confirmation that former France international Josuha Guilavogui is strongly under consideration and seen as the most likely to sign.

The Whites put in arguably their best performance of the season on Friday night when they dismantled previously unbeaten Sheffield United 2-0 to climb up to third in the table and having suffered just one defeat in their 10 matches played. And with Ao Tanaka and Joe Rothwell both earning plaudits for their excellent displays in midfield, Leeds appear to have made light of the injuries sustained by first-choice pair Ethan Ampadu and Ilia Gruev.

However, with the duo expected to be sidelined for a good number of weeks yet, Farke is wary that his squad lacks cover now in the engine room and they are one injury short of being plunged into something of a crisis.

As a result, they are looking towards the free agents market to help them out of their hole and had looked at a possible deal for former Nottingham Forest man Cheikhou Kouyate. That move, though, fell through last week amid claims over his financial demands.

And while it had emerged they were also taking a look at former Arsenal man Francis Coquelin, sources have now confirmed that former France international Guilavogui is also on their radar and was in attendance on Friday night as the Blades were put to the sword.

The 34-year-old was recently on the books of Mainz, but was released at the end of his contract over the summer.

Primarily a defensive midfield, the seven-times capped France international can also cover in central defence, meaning he ticks exactly what Farke is looking for from a free agent.

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Farke green lights plan to sign free agent midfielder

Discussing his plans to bring in a new midfielder, Farke told the media in the wake of Friday’s win that a number of options were being considered.

“It’s most important not to speak about names but the profile is important. We’re thin on the holding midfield option. Ethan was our first choice, the back-up would be Ilia,” Farke said.

“We’re also a bit thin on the centre-back position. Max [Wober] is out and was not really available since he came back in the summer, although he’s a bit ahead of schedule. We have to keep in mind Pascal [Struijk] had an injury record in his CV, Joe Rodon is on four yellows.

“In an ideal situation we’d bring in a deep-lying midfielder who could also cope with the centre-back position but he needs to accept a role where the main man comes back, Ethan is first choice, and our centre-backs.

“He would come in to be a back-up solution, to bring his experience and teach and educate our young players. He should come in with the attitude to improve them. If a young player is struggling with the pressure with playing for a club like Leeds United, to not crack, we need a player who has experience and this mentality.

“This is what we’re searching for. It’s not easy but we have a few ideas and I’m carefully optimistic that we’ll have the chance to bring a good solution in the coming days or coming two weeks.”

While we understand the Leeds boss is currently favouring a deal for Guilavogui, Farke has also expressed concerns previously at bringing in a player at this stage of the season, owing to a lack of fitness and the time it would take to get players up to speed. On that note, Guilavogui’s last appearance came back in March.

However, Leeds do need cover on the bench and if the 34-year-old can get himself to a level where he can provide cover in the latter stages of a game, a short-term deal to bring him to Elland Road certainly makes a lot of sense.

Latest Leeds transfer news: Experienced star wants out / Klopp talk dismissed

Leeds, meanwhile, could be set to part ways with Patrick Bamford in 2025 after the experienced striker fell down Farke’s pecking order. Joel Piroe has been preferred as the main starting striker in recent games, with youngster Mateo Joseph providing another option. The two players combined for Leeds’ second of the game on Friday evening.

As a result, Bamford, now 31, has been limited to just 132 minutes this season, starting just once in the League Cup.

Now into his seventh season at Elland Road, it’s reported the frustrated star feels that the time is now right to move on to pastures new.

Elsewhere, Leeds are one of three Championship sides understood to be tracking a highly-rated Port Vale teenager, who recently made his full debut for the League Two side despite being just 16 years of age.

And finally, talk that Jurgen Klopp could be parachuted in by Leeds’ minority shareholders Red Bull as a replacement for Farke has been completely dismissed, with the fanciful reports in the German media well wide of the mark.

IN-PROFILE: Who is Josuha Guilavogui?

Born in France in September 1990, Guilavogui came through the academy at Saint-Etienne and went on to make over 100 first-team appearances for the club.

The midfielder completed a €10million move to Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2013 but made just seven appearances for the club and was loaned back to Saint-Etienne in January 2014.

He spent the following two years on loan at VfL Wolfsburg and won the DFB-Pokal and DFL-Supercup in 2015, while also reaching the Champions League quarter-finals in 2015/16.

The France international – who made seven appearances for the country between 2013 and 2015 – joined the Bundesliga side on a permanent deal in 2016 and was appointed club captain in 2018.

“Josh is the kind of player whose value cannot be measured by numbers alone,” VfL Wolfsburg sporting director Marcel Schafer said after his departure in 2023.

“He has achieved great things over a long period of time, both on and off the pitch. With his commitment and his exemplary mentality, he is a shining example of the values of VfL Wolfsburg.

“We will miss him as a footballer, as a person and also as a cheerful character in the dressing room.”

The 34-year-old made 12 appearances for Mainz 05 in 2023/24 and was involved in a horror on-field collision in a game against Bayern Munich in March.

He was knocked out after colliding with a teammate’s knee and swallowed his tongue, but the referee rolled him over into the recovery position and prevented him from potentially suffocating.