Amidst speculation linking former Nottingham Forest star Cheikhou Kouyaté to a potential move to Leeds in order to bolster their midfield, new developments have emerged in the transfer saga.
With Ethan Ampadu ruled out for the rest of 2024 due to a LCL injury and Ilia Gruev undergoing surgery for a meniscus injury, Leeds appeared to be in need of reinforcements. Talks with Kouyaté were ongoing, however, Football Insider has now reported that Leeds have decided to pull out of the deal.
Despite Kouyaté’s extensive experience catching the eye of Leeds’ decision-makers, the move has been called off after negotiations failed to progress as expected. However, there has been a sudden reversal in the situation, with reports emerging that Kouyaté is undergoing a medical at Leeds after the club made the decision to sign him.
The reason behind Leeds’ change of heart remains unclear, but it seems that the club may have had a rethink on their midfield depth and decided to revisit the Kouyaté deal. As a free agent following his departure from Nottingham Forest, Kouyaté could bring a wealth of experience to the Leeds squad with over 290 Premier League appearances and success both domestically and internationally.
Now, all eyes will be on whether the deal will be finalized this week and if Kouyaté will indeed be lining up for Leeds in the coming matches to provide support and experience to the team.