21 Free Agents Leeds United Could Consider Signing | OneFootball

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Leeds United impressed in their first season back in the Premier League, with Daniel Farke appearing to flick the switch mid-season, after which the Whites never looked back. Farke knows though that a second season in the Premier League can often carry as much risk as the first, making this summer crucial.

Whites supremo Paraag Marath has stressed that the club will have some limitations in the summer transfer window given the change from PSR financial rules to SCR (squad cost ratio), which means every penny spent will matter and free agents become ever more attractive.

Leeds have had success in the Bosman market with the likes of Luciano Becchio in the mid-noughties and Pablo Hernandez a decade later. Gary McAllister was signed by the Whites after his contract with Leicester City expired, but it being the pre-Bosman era, Leeds had had to part with a sizeable tribunal fee; McAllister would later go on to become a much-loved free transfer for Liverpool after the turn of the millennium.

More recently, last summer, Leeds had smashing success with what appeared to be gambles at that time, bringing in Lukas Nmecha and Dominic Calvert-Lewin on free transfers. Both defied their injury-prone recent seasons to stay largely available and make an impact on the pitch. It was apt that Nmecha scored Leeds’ first goal of the Premier League season and Calvert-Lewin got their last.

This summer, some free agents are already a theme, with Ibrahima Konate, Andrew Robertson and Marco Senesi on the move. The likes of Mohamed Salah, Dusan Vlahovic, Robert Lewandowski and Mauro Icardi are unattainable for Leeds, but if the Whites can sign free agents who make the impact of Calvert-Lewin especially, they will have saved millions and be a step ahead for next season already.

Inside Futbol look at the free agent market and suss out if the Whites should dip into it again.

Strikers

Leeds’ pursuit of Jorgen Strand Larsen in January showed that they are firmly in the hunt for a new striker. While Calvert-Lewin has been a revelation and Farke has used the squad at his disposal admirably, the fact that the trio of Calvert-Lewin, Nmecha and Noah Okafor were signed with worrying injury records cannot be escaped. But equally, the move for Strand Larsen showed that Leeds have tight valuation controls, preventing them from pursuing a deal beyond a self-imposed watermark.

While Leeds signed many a big-name player such as Robbie Fowler, Olivier Dacourt, Rio Ferdinand and Robbie Keane in the early noughties, it could be said that none matched Mark Viduka’s impact on the league and his side after he joined from Celtic. Leeds fans might be enamoured by the likes of Vlahovic or Lewandowski, but it might not be financially prudent to sign players of that ilk just yet, with the Whites likely to remain hampered by the SCR rules at least in the near future.

There were calls throughout the season, questioning Leeds’ refusal, or inability, to strengthen up front, and expecting Farke to repeat the same would be bordering on negligence. If, ala Strand Larsen, Leeds, for whatever reason, are unable to bring in their long-term target, they could turn their attention to a short-term fix to rotate with Nmecha and Dominic Calvert-Lewin rather than supplant them. Eyes though could also be on headline-grabbing arrivals who would excite the fans.

Darwin Nunez

Darwin Nunez will be available on a free after mutually agreeing to terminate his contract with Al Hilal. Nunez might seem like a left-field pick, but there is a player in the Uruguayan, for whom Liverpool shelled out £64m before recouping £45m.

Even if he does not recapture his Benfica form, the benefits Nunez brings even when he is fluffing chances is enormous. It would not be an overstatement to say that of all the things Liverpool have been lacking in this recently concluded campaign as compared to the last, the chaos Nunez introduced while he was on the pitch might be the biggest miss.

Nunez will frustrate and enthral in equal measure, but considering that Calvert-Lewin has regularly underperformed his xG, he would expect to go in as the first choice striker and top of the Leeds tree. The Uruguayan is the kind of signing that would make the rest of the Premier League really sit up and take note of Leeds, with it sending a huge signal about Elland Road ambitions. Wage demands though, could well be an issue given SCR.

Callum Wilson, Raul Jimenez

Callum Wilson and Raul Jimenez might be 34 and 35 respectively, but they have proven themselves to be efficient goalscorers at Premier League level barring the odd dip in form.

Wilson scored seven times last season to take his overall tally to 95 Premier League goals, while Jimenez scored nine, lifting his career tally in this league to 68. Neither player has gone a season without scoring once, their lowest return otherwise has been four and five goals, respectively.

Both Wilson and Jimenez have notched up double digit returns in three different seasons each, peaking with 18 in the 2022/23 season for Wilson and 17 in the 2019/20 campaign for Jimenez.

Commentator Adam Pope stated that Leeds signing Wilson is ‘still a bit risky’ but Wilson, and Jimenez, might just be the preferable sort of risk for the Whites.

Bamba Dieng

Bamba Dieng is out of contract at Ligue 1 side Lorient and will be available on a free. The Senegalese forward is presently at the World Cup, with 26 caps to his name.

At 26, Dieng would represent a relatively risk-free option for Leeds, with the striker challenging Calvert-Lewin from the bench, before eventually going on to replace him.

The likes of West Brom and QPR are being linked with Bamba Dieng, and with that sort of competition, Leeds will view him as more attainable.

Bamba Dieng however represents a risk in that being an unknown quality at the highest levels can only mean that if he is of the requisite quality can only be judged post-facto.

There is however the issue that he snubbed a move to Leeds on deadline day in 2022, angering then Whites chairman Andrea Radrizzani.

Manolo Gabbiadini, Divock Origi, Odion Ighalo and Leo Bonatini; Raheem Sterling, Adama Traore and Angel Di Maria

If an exodus of out-of-favour players such as Joel Piroe, Joe Gelhardt, Mateo Joseph, Largie Ramazani and Jack Harrison occurs, with buyers found to free up wages and slots in the squad, Leeds might turn to the free agent market to beef up numbers late in the window.

Manolo Gabbiadini, Divock Origi, Odion Ighalo and Leo Bonatini are some of the names available, but they each represent a risk even as a squad player. Farke might seek a younger forward to be brought in to develop, but if such a move is not forthcoming, Leeds might have to do with one of the aforementioned names for the season.

Willy Gnonto has just four Premier League starts this season, with three coming in the first three games of the campaign, and could be sold, with Freiburg having enquired about his availability.

Even if he is sold, and Leeds fail to bring in a target say, for instance, Roony Bardghji, they would be better off not turning to the likes of Raheem Sterling, Adama Traore or Angel Di Maria, with the risk of squad harmony being thrown off-kilter. There will again though be the attraction of a big name, though Farke has not seemed particularly drawn to that type of signing yet.

Harry Wilson

Harry Wilson was a target for the Whites last summer, with Leeds missing out on him narrowly after Fulham had a change of heart. It goes without saying that Leeds will have continued to track him.

The position remains a problem area for Leeds, with the loan move of Facundo Buonanotte not really working out. Any Leeds approach for Wilson is complicated by the sparkling season he has had with the Cottagers, leading to interest from Everton and Aston Villa.

Leeds, however, should make every effort to bring Wilson to Elland Road, with the Welshman offering another dynamic to the attack. If so required, the Welsh contingent already at Leeds could be tasked with putting a word in Wilson’s ear.

Julian Brandt, Jadon Sancho and Leon Goretzka

Three players who made their name in Germany, three players who have been much wanted in England at various points in their career, and three players who are potentially looking for a new challenge. Julian Brandt and Leon Goretzka are yet to play outside Germany while Jadon Sancho has been having a nomadic existence since his highly publicised move to Manchester United.

Only Goretzka, from the three, finds himself representing his country at the World Cup, leaving Brandt and Sancho fresh for the upcoming season. Brandt and Goretzka could prove to be inspired signings as Pascal Gross has proved to be for Brighton.

Sancho, while never hitting the heights he did with Borussia Dortmund as a teenager since his move to Old Trafford, remains a player who can contribute at the highest level. He also became the first player to appear in the Europa League final, Conference League final and Champions League final for three different clubs in consecutive seasons, winning two of those three.

Any of these names would add experience of the highest level to Leeds’ squad, not only for matchdays, but also in training. There is a chance that their arrival could elevate the squad and open Farke to new possibilities.

Zeki Celik, Oscar Mingueza

In Zeki Celik and Oscar Mingueza, or a combination, Leeds could address the full-back positions as they did with the striker role last summer.

Celik and Mingueza can increase the quality on the right flank; Celik like James Justin can fill in at centre-back if required while Mingueza can provide cover across the back and midfield.

Danilo Doekhi

Danilo Doekhi, the nephew of former Chelsea man Winston Bogarde, will see his four year stay with Union Berlin come to an end this summer.

Leeds are keen on Doekhi, and received a boost when a move back to the Netherlands was ruled out.

Doekhi also contributes with goals, and his five from last season matches the combined output of Pascal Struijk, Joe Rodon, Jaka Bijol and James Justin.

Lorenzo Pellegrini

Lorenzo Pellegrini has 49 goals and 49 assists in exactly 300 Serie A appearances, but his career has somewhat plateaued, with the Italian unable to nudge his trajectory up to meet that which was forecast after his early promise.

The Rome-born Roma supporter has also fallen foul of the ultras, with blame being laid squarely at his feet for the sackings of Daniele De Rossi and Jose Mourinho, and could probably do with a fresh start.

If Leeds can convince him that Elland Road is the place to start anew, they might be getting themselves a player driven to prove a point and an able companion to Anton Stach.

Daichi Kamada and Yves Bissouma

Daichi Kamada and Yves Bissouma looked like coups when they signed for Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur, respectively. The fact that they are out of contract reflects the underwhelming spells they have had since their moves.

If Farke believes that the last few years are not reflective of their ability, and that he could bring out their best in due course, Kamada and Bissouma might be calculated gambles worth taking.

Conclusion

It is important that Leeds get this window right, given that they finished ninth under Marcelo Bielsa after achieving promotion the last time around, with 59 points, the best tally by a promoted club in a season since Ipswich Town in 2000/01. Leeds fell away within a couple of seasons, unable to build on that.

But equally, it is important that Leeds balance risk with caution, with many a wise man preferring growth or decline to stagnation.

There could well be benefit to hanging on until late in the window for potential bargains, but quality free agents will not hang around for long.