Leeds United
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Leeds boss Daniel Farke fumes at transfer fumbles as top target heads elsewhere
Leeds United manager Daniel Farke has voiced his frustration at his team’s transfer failings in the current window as another target finds a new home elsewhere.
Farke feels that his warnings to the club regarding player departures have done little good and the club have endured a frustrating window, to say the least.
The manager has revealed that he sounded the alarm about the departures of Georginio Rutter and Crysencio Summerville ‘months ago’.
Summerville departed in early August after West Ham triggered a £25m release clause with the Londoners sweetening the deal with potential future add-ons.
In the meantime, Brighton submitted an offer that triggered Rutter’s £40m clause as the Seagulls shattered their club record to sign the French forward to reinvigorate their attack.
After the Summerville sale, Farke indicated that Leeds would not be able to use their financial windfall to make new signings, suggesting the club needed to correct previous FFP sins.
The departure of Summerville and Rutter adds to an already long list of exits that also includes Archie Gray, Glen Kamara, Marc Roca, Charlie Cresswell, Diego Llorente, Cody Drameh, Kristoffer Klaesson, Ian Poveda, Luke Ayling and Jamie Shackleton.
Farke said that the situation came as no surprise to him with Summerville and Georginio putting in star turns last season and both having release clauses in their deals at Elland Road.
He would concede that it has been difficult to bring in signings with the limitations placed upon them in the past.
“I have asked everyone who is working on this topic to prepare months ago for this scenario when I was aware of exit clauses,” Farke said in response to the departure of Georginio.
“Georgi is pretty unique the way he plays, when he shows his quality and potential he can be an extraordinary player.
“I think it was perhaps not realistic five months ago to think about this, but since January I urged everyone in our scouting department to be prepared to play without Georginio and Summerville. I’ve urged them to work on this not just a few weeks ago but several months.
“One thing is to work on this replacement and the other is to bring it over the line.”
Farke would not point fingers at anyone at the club for the departures saying that none of the incumbents had been around when the release clauses were agreed.
“I am the face of the club and it is my job to speak for the club and defend the club,” he said.
“We have to stick as Leeds United all together, it is us against the world.
“I am here to bring the stability. Nobody is to be blamed from our key people. Nobody was there when these exit clauses were signed. We all would have preferred to keep our best players. It is better to build a squad step by step, but we have a new reality. I am here to answer those questions.”
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Leeds United miss out on top target
Norwich City and Marseille have agreed a deal that will see England under-21 international winger and reported Leeds target Jonathan Rowe move to the south of France.
Leeds made enquiries about the availability of Rowe but backed off when they learned of his intentions to move to Marseille after talks with the player. No formal bid was submitted for Rowe who was sold for a reported £13m.
The Whites have found it hard to recruit players after losing in the promotion playoffs last season and will have to pull off some transfer miracles to undo the damage done in this summer window.
Rowe’s transfer may also have a knock on effect as Norwich seek a replacement and could swoop of another Leeds target in Manuel Benson from Burnley.
Farke has claimed that Leeds needed to make at least four singings in the current window but they have so far only managed to bring in Jayden Bogle from Sheffield United with that signing completed last month.
The manager added that he doesn’t expect any signings to arrive at the club before Friday’s fixture away to Sheffield Wednesday.
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