Leeds United v Middlesbrough: Daniel Farke's no 'guarantees' message to signings plus Luke Ayling admission — Yorkshire Post 14/8/24

By Leon Wobschall

LEEDS UNITED manager Daniel Farke has stressed that he will never offer guarantees of game time to any signing - and insists that ability and attitude as opposed to ‘names’ will always be his main concern.

United, who welcome Middlesbrough in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday evening, have brought in just four signings so far this summer, with the main narrative of the window having so far revolved around key departures with stellar duo Archie Gray and Crysencio Summerville both leaving.

Leeds have expressed interest in a number of players including Crystal Palace winger Jesurun Rak-Sakyi and while he is destined for Yorkshire - it is at Sheffield United as opposed to Leeds where he will play his football in 2024-25.

Reports have suggested that the 21-year-old has headed to Bramall Lane due to assurances over game time.

While not commenting specifically on Rak-Sakyi, Farke said that it has never been his style to give targets cast-iron promises about playing.

Reiterating that he would never provide such guarantees, the Leeds chief said: “For me, it’s not about salaries, transfer sums, loans or permanent or how highly a player is valued or in the transfer market. Names are not important for me, it’s what you deliver.

"The quality you show on the training pitch, on the pitch in games and behaviour in the dressing room and identification and commitment in the group is just as important. It’s never a guarantee, whoever I bring in, that he plays.

"There will never be a guarantee in the contract, at least not as long as I’m in charge. It’s not healthy for creating a performance culture. This is how I work.”

It helps to explain why Farke – in an ideal world - would like to bring in permanent signings, preferably, before the transfer deadline.

Given the cachet of Leeds to prospective targets, Farke is monitoring the Premier League loan market closely, but acknowledges that temporary signings can come fraught with risk.

He continued: “The loan market can be sometimes even a bit tricky, especially once you bring a player in who doesn’t have a 100 per cent guarantee he will play as normally a loan from the Premier League comes to get some game time.

"If you have such a strong squad like we have, you cannot guarantee such game time and sometimes a loan does not make sense. I prefer, if I am really honest, more permanent deals.

"The loan market is definitely one of our options, but we are still eyeing permanent transfers. We won’t fall asleep until the end of August."

United legend Luke Ayling makes his first playing return to Elland Road since his move to Teesside in January and while it remains to be seen if he starts for Boro, he is sure to be guaranteed a huge ovation, come what may.

Farke is full of praise for what the 32-year-old, who captained Boro on Saturday, achieved at Leeds and that respect extended to allowing him to leave when he was chasing his next permanent contract with his deal up at United in June.

He added: "When he came and asked if he can leave, he wanted more playing time as his contract was running out.

"We were a little bit short in the right back position, but we thought he earned that we allowed him this move as he’s done so much for the club.

"We allowed him this move and also wanted to let him go at a moment when perhaps many supporters thought ‘umm, it’d be good to still have him here.’

"It’s always better for a club legend to more or less finish his time when you have done so well for a club, instead of everyone saying ‘he should have finished his career two years earlier.’ From both sides, him and us, it was a perfect ending of a great legendary time here."