Wrexham AFC could capitalise on Leeds United & Newcastle transfer agreement by swooping for midfielder | OneFootball

Leeds United's midfield upgrades could lead Darko Gyabi to make the move to the Welsh side

If the writing wasn't already on the wall for Darko Gyabi at Leeds United this summer, the imminent arrival of Sean Longstaff most definitely means it is.

The 21-year-old has once again been touted for a loan move away from Elland Road this season, after spending the last 18 months at Plymouth Argyle.

But now, with Sean Longstaff due in for a medical, and with Daniel Farke’s side in for Hoffenheim’s Anton Stach, too, it seems almost inevitable that the former Manchester City academy product will be out of the door sooner rather than later.

This past season has seen Gyabi improve exponentially, becoming one of the first names on the team sheet at Plymouth and starting in their FA Cup triumph over Liverpool and eventual defeat against Manchester City.

So, a Championship move may be on the cards once more. And if it is, then newly promoted Wrexham should be one of the sides eying the Leeds youngster this summer.

Darko Gyabi would be a great fit for an ageing Wrexham midfield this season

Wrexham’s pre-season tour of Australia and New Zealand has seen some unfortunate injury casualties, more specifically to midfielder Ollie Rathbone.

The 28-year-old was forced off with an ankle injury in the first half against Sydney FC, which manager Phil Parkinson confirmed had sent him to the hospital for an X-ray. Whilst it’s unknown how long Rathbone will be out for, early signs are that it doesn’t look too great.

Rathbone is one of the many players in the Wrexham squad with Championship experience, having spent two seasons at Rotherham United in the division before his move to The Racecourse Ground. Losing someone who made 41 League One appearances last term en route to promotion is a big blow.

The youngest senior midfielder in the Wrexham squad currently is George Dobson, and at 27, he is now the only fit player in that position under the age of 30, with 28-year-old Andy Cannon also set to miss the beginning of the season after suffering an ACL injury in February.

So, not only are Wrexham now down a couple of midfielders to start the season, they’re missing some youth in there too. Gyabi, in this sense, ticks both boxes.

Phil Parkinson is yet to bring in a midfielder this summer, so you’d expect that one would be on the cards regardless of these injuries. Now, though, with Gyabi looking available on a loan deal, the Wrexham boss may switch his focus to him.

The 21-year-old would provide a lot of energy in the middle of the park, taking some of the running stress off of the likes of Matty James and Elliot Lee and allowing them to play to their technical strengths more.

Additionally, whilst Leeds would likely want Gyabi to be playing regularly once more in 2025/26, bringing in a player on loan means that Wrexham won’t be fully replacing Rathbone and Cannon, and Gyabi can provide solid competition when they return.

Wrexham would be a useful place for Darko Gyabi to continue growing

Darko Gyabi’s first six-month spell at Plymouth during the 2023/24 campaign was cut short due to injury, but his return to Home Park this past season allowed the Championship to truly see why Leeds paid around £5 million for his services in 2022.

The 21-year-old was ever-present in the Pilgrims' side last season, with two of his three absences coming against his parent club, Leeds. He started 38 of the 48 games he played in all competitions, including playing 90 minutes in Plymouth’s famous 1-0 win over Premier League champions Liverpool in the FA Cup.

In the Championship, Gyabi ranked in the top 10% of defensive midfielders not only in duels won, but also in successful dribbles and fouls won, showing how developed his all-around game was last season. Not only was he able to win the ball back, but he was also able to keep it consistently.

Signing Premier League-ready players has been the plan for Leeds this summer, so Gyabi was never really going to get a chance in Daniel Farke’s side for the upcoming season, but another campaign at Championship level, if he’s able to improve as much as he did last term, will be incredibly useful for him.