Leeds United transfer plans mooted after recent Ethan Ampadu developments
Leeds United are not panicking to replace Ethan Ampadu at this stage of the season, according to Ben Jacobs.
The Whites skipper has been ruled out until the start of 2025 having picked up a knee injury during the win over Coventry City, with fellow midfielder Ilia Gruev also set for an extended spell on the sidelines.
While Daniel Farke has opened the door to exploring the free-agent market ahead of the January window, sports broadcaster Jacobs admits any new additions are likely to be made when the transfer window opens.
As quoted by Give Me Sport on Monday (7 October) he said: “I’m not aware of any panic to replace Ampadu now.
“In early January you might see them add midfield or versatile reinforcement, partially to cover the back end of the festive and New Year period and to ensure that as he rehabilitates and comes back.
“They have depth and other options so they won’t have to rush him back at some point in January and risk having another setback in the process.”
How long is Ethan Ampadu injured for at Leeds United?
Leeds United don’t have loads of depth to work with, in the middle of the park at this stage now that both Ampadu and Gruev have been ruled out, with the only obvious midfield options available Ao Tanaka and Joe Rothwell.
While Farke may be keen to integrate some of the younger talents in and around his first team squad such as Charlie Crew, he will also know that the Whites cannot afford to drop too many points over the coming weeks.
The issue with singing free agents at this stage of the season is the fact that they don’t tend to be ready to slot straight into the side. Most players available to Leeds won’t have had a pre-season and will have already missed two months of the campaign.
In that scenario, would they really be a better option than Crew or another young prospect?
If Leeds are able to navigate the next three months with the current options at their disposal, there will be far better options available to them when January rolls around.
In other Leeds United news, Eintracht Frankfurt have made a new transfer decision around Whites loanee Rasmus Kristensen
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