There have been calls among the Leeds United fanbase for the club to consider signing a free agent or two, given the side’s dismal form under Daniel Farke – and one name has left Chris Sutton shocked.
To be clear, Leeds are unable to register any new players, including free agents, until the January window opens. That is because Leeds have named a 25-man Premier League squad, including Illan Meslier.
Given that Meslier is included, with Alex Cairns, it means that Leeds’ 25-man Premier League squad is full. While free agents can be signed, they would not be able to register until the 25-man list can be altered.
Players can only be removed from a 25-man Premier League list during the transfer window, and that means Leeds have to wait until January to be able to remove a player, and therefore add a new signing.
Outside of the window, free agents can be added to a Premier League squad, but only if the club involved has submitted a squad with fewer than 25 players. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has been linked with Leeds.
Chris Sutton stunned as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain claim made
Oxlade-Chamberlain left Besiktas on a free in the summer, and now the 32-year-old is looking for a new club. Having had a spell in Turkey, Oxlade-Chamberlain has made it clear he wants to join an English club.
Amid the noise of a potential move to an English club in due course, the England international is said to have been training with Arsenal to maintain his fitness. Whether Leeds come calling, is another matter.
On Sunday’s BBC 606 phone-in, Robbie Savage and Chris Sutton were told by a Leeds fan that Daniel Farke should sign Oxlade-Chamberlain. It was unclear if the fan knew that he wouldn’t be able to register.
The fan told Savage and Sutton: “If I were to bring one player in to make a difference, I’m just thinking of that midfield conductor role, I’ve heard that Oxlade-Chamberlain is training with the youth at Arsenal.
“I’d be saying to him, come train with us, and if you impress us, we need a midfield conductor. Because we really need somebody with nous and experience at Prem level who can sit in a gap,” The caller added.
“And even if he’s not the player that we need, all the past notes about him are that he has a fantastic positive impact on a squad. And that’s what Guilavogui did for us last year,” the caller summarised.
Sutton was stunned and responded in true Sutton style, offering a bewildered and dismissive tone when answering: “You want Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain into the Leeds midfield? Wow, I didn’t expect that one.”
Why a move for Oxlade-Chamberlain could make sense at Leeds…
It is easy to dismiss this one. Oxlade-Chamberlain is not the player he once was, and having been without a club since the summer, it would take the former England star weeks to return to a solid level of fitness.
However, Leeds are working on a tight budget, having spent north of £100m in the summer. They are close to overstepping the PSR line, according to Robbie Evans. A free transfer then, does suit the coffers.
Especially because Leeds do need a couple of new faces. If Leeds are to sign any players in January, it will be a player that can play in attacking midfield or out wide, and again, Oxlade-Chamberlain fits the bill.
The former Liverpool and Arsenal star has played 235 times in the Premier League. That would make him Leeds’ most-experienced Premier League player, instantly. But Leeds would have to remove a name.
The chances are it would be Meslier or Cairns, given Meslier is likely to leave in January and Cairns is the club’s fourth-choice goalkeeper. It seems unlikely, but there are certainly positives to a possible deal.
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