Daniel Farke made mistake not sanctioning Darko Gyabi loan as Leeds United exit on the cards in January
Leeds United boss Daniel Farke could have made a mistake when he decided to not loan out Darko Gyabi during the transfer window.
The 19-year-old midfielder looked set to head out of Elland Road on a temporary basis over the summer, with The Athletic reporting on 1 September that Fleetwood Town were interested in striking a late deal to sign him.
But the League One side were unable to complete a move for the England U-20 international, who could now be set to leave the club – on loan or permanently in January – after struggling to break into the Whites’ first team.
Gyabi arrived at Leeds from Manchester City last summer for a fee believed to be in the region of £5million despite being highly rated at the Etihad Stadium.
He scored an impressive nine goals and laid on two assists in 24 games for the Citizens’ U-18s side as well as one goal and three assists in 16 matches for the U-21s team before making the switch to West Yorkshire.
The midfielder then caught the eye for the Whites’ U-21s last season, having registered two goals and recording three assists in 24 appearances.
That form earned him his debut with the first team in November last year against Wolves in the Carabao Cup, with his first outing in the Premier League coming the following month against Manchester City.
The teenager’s opportunities with the senior side have been limited since then, though, having played just one minute in the Championship victory over Ipswich Town and 45 minutes in the Carabao Cup success against Shrewsbury Town this season.
Gyabi’s chances look unlikely to improve any time soon as he is now back playing with the U-21s side, who he scored for in a 3-2 win over Colchester United on Friday (15 September).
He surely would have benefited much more to have gone out on loan and earned some first-team experience this season as that option was on the table.
While staying at Elland Road will allow the coaching staff to work with him directly, a move would have likely seen him play more minutes and be in a better position to compete for a place in the side on his return.
If his opportunities don’t improve over the next few months, it seems likely that the Whites will look to secure him a loan move in January.
The Yorkshire Evening Post reported on 31 August that Ligue 2 outfit Valenciennes had seen a bid worth £4million turned down for the midfielder.
While it seems unlikely the club would sanction a deal for him to leave on a permanent basis, he could potentially try and push through a move if he feels his first-team opportunities at Elland Road are set to be limited and the right offer comes along.
In other Leeds United news, Daniel Farke has shared an injury update on one first-team player.