"I won't be losing much sleep" - Claim made amid new Leeds United, Cheikhou Kouyate twist | OneFootball

We asked our Leeds United fan pundit for his opinion after it emerged that Cheikhou Kouyate's deal to join the club collapsed

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Our Leeds United fan pundit believes that it will be hard for Leeds United to find a free agent with the required fitness levels after it recently emerged that Cheikhou Kouyate's deal to move to Elland Road had collapsed.

Football Insider reported that the 34-year-old failed his medical at Leeds, and the club are now back to the drawing board as they look to bolster their squad with a number of players out injured.

The likes of Ethan Ampadu, Ilia Gruev and Max Wober are out injured, so Kouyate was set to add depth and experience to Daniel Farke's squad, but after failing his medical, it's raised questions about just how Leeds will find a player with the required fitness levels with free agents having been out of action since the end of the 2023/24 campaign.

It's been reported by Football Insider that an unnamed German player will link up with Farke's side for a trial this week, but' Kouyate failing his medical could be a blow for Leeds, given the fact it was nearly all done, and he was ready to sign.

Leeds United tipped to struggle to find an adequate free agent

We asked our Leeds United fan pundit, Kris Smith, for his opinions about Kouyate's move collapsing, and he believes that while the 34-year-old would have fit the role perfectly, he won't lose sleep over the deal collapsing. However, he's worried that it shows how difficult it will be for Leeds to find a free agent up to scratch.

Kris told Football League World: "Farke is right that Leeds not only need someone who can not only play in midfield, but can drop and cover at centre-half too.

“Cheikhou Kouyate does fit that role quite perfectly for us on paper, but given the fact he’s failed his medical, you’d assume that his fitness isn’t up to scratch, and it is a major issue for the club looking at offering him a contract.

“Overall, though, that is the price that you’re paying when you’re looking at free agents months into the season. You do worry that if that’s the issue with Kouyate, who has been training for us, how many other players that the club are targeting are in the same boat.

“They haven’t played since May and aren’t up to scratch and won’t be until the likes of Ampadu and Max Wober are back in the squad anyway.

"For me, there are others out there that means I won’t be losing much sleep over Kouyate not signing a short-term deal, but it’s hard to be optimistic about any deal being groundbreaking with the circumstances of Kouyate’s deal collapsing because of his fitness.”

Charlie Crew has been tipped for big things at Leeds United, and while he's struggled for regular minutes thanks to the quality of players above him in the pecking order, injuries and Kouyate's deal falling through could give him the chance to make a breakthrough.

The 18-year-old was signed from Cardiff City in 2022 and is yet to make his first-team debut, but he's been included in a number of matchday squads, showing that it's just a matter of time before he's given a chance.

Crew has already made his senior international debut for Wales, and the current situation at Leeds could provide the perfect opportunity for him to be given a chance in Farke's side.

Giving chances to young, talented, hungry players like Crew could well be a better option for Leeds than signing older free agents who are unfit, and ultimately just looking for money in some cases.

Sometimes in football all you need is a chance to show what you can do, and while it might be a risk, it's the perfect time to see what Crew can do at Championship level.