Daniel Farke’s blunt verdict revealed on Leeds United transfer disaster — Leeds Press 7/9/25
by Kris Sanyal
Leeds United manager Daniel Farke kept on pleading for more
attackers towards the end of the window. However, on transfer deadline day, the
club failed to bring in even one attacking reinforcement as the Whites fumbled
and failed in the final hours.
The ramifications of Leeds missing out on Wales winger Harry
Wilson on deadline day when Fulham changed their mind about selling the
Welshman with just minutes left in the transfer window are still reverberating
at Elland Road.
Leeds are insistent that a bad deadline day should not
overshadow the good work they did over the course of the summer window.
However, the team do look short in the final third, and are yet to score in the
Premier League from open play after three league games.
Wilson was a high-profile miss on deadline day, but the club
did fall short of attracting a few other players, who chose other options over
Elland Road over the course of the window.
Journalist Pete O’Rourke has taken stock of the transfer
window at Leeds and the players they missed out on during the summer.
The Whites had a serious interest in Christantus Uche, Bilal
El Khannouss and Manor Solomon, and while all three players changed clubs, they
snubbed interest from Elland Road.
O’Rourke stressed that all three players chose to join clubs
playing European football, and Leeds could have done little to change their
minds, given what they wanted.
He insisted that those were ambitious targets for Leeds, and
Farke does not regret losing out on them, as the club did everything to get
those deals done.
“Deals were there to be done, but there’s always competition
for these players’ signatures”, O’Rourke said on Football Insider.
“Manor Solomon – Palace tried to sign him, but he’s gone to
Villarreal, he’s got Champions League football. [Christantus] Uche went to
Palace.
“Obviously, Palace had money in their pockets following the
sale of Ebere Eze, so obviously that helped them, and the chance of European
football as well for Uche, which Leeds can’t offer.
“Then [Bilal] El Khannouss; there was a lot of interest in
him from other clubs during the window, but he’s decided to make the move to
Germany, to Stuttgart.
“Those three players were ambitious targets for Leeds, and
obviously they’ve missed out, but there are no regrets from Daniel Farke.
“He will now move on and work with what he’s got, to try and
ensure that Leeds are well-placed come the January window.”
Farke will hope to keep Leeds afloat until January
The Leeds boss made it clear last weekend that he felt the
team needed attacking reinforcements to boost their survival hopes in the
Premier League.
However, those attacking reinforcements never came, and the
German will have to adapt to the new reality for the next few months.
Leeds have four points on the board early in the season, and
Farke will have to ensure that Leeds have their heads above the water in the
next few months and stay ahead of the curve in the relegation dogfight.
He is almost certain to demand new signings in attack when
the transfer window reopens in January, but he needs his team to perform at a
certain level until then.
