Nine days remain for Leeds United to ensure they get the four players Daniel Farke has made it very clear he wants.
Leeds could not be leaving this any later and considering the quality in which they have lost this summer, it is hard to believe the lack of urgency in which they are showing.
Farke‘s side are back in action at Sheffield Wednesday in just two days’ time and after the horror show in final third at West Brom, work should’ve been done to have fresh faces through the door quickly.
A new full-back, box-to-box central midfielder and two attackers are where Farke has publicly stated he wants to strengthen, with the first two having been on the radar for over a month.
FC Koln’s Dejan Ljubicic is the only midfielder Leeds are publicly known to have bid for and while he does want the move, they have not returned with a second offer.
- READ MORE: Leeds United are trying to sign a player who’s already said he doesn’t want to leave this summer
Leeds want Man United midfielder Hannibal Mejbri
Stuart Dallas afforded Leeds the excuse that they may be waiting for Premier League clubs to finalise their 25-man squads to see what is available.
Based on links to the likes of Manuel Benson, Jack Clarke and most recently Ilan Kebbal, that does not look like it is the case, particularly when Leeds are unable to offer loanees guaranteed game time.
However, according to the printed edition of the Daily Mail (Wednesday 21 August, page 61), Leeds are keen on a move for Manchester United’s Hannibal Mejbri.
It is said despite Leeds’ interest, Championship rivals Burnley are currently in ‘pole position’ for the young midfielder, who does not appear to be part of Erik ten Hag’s plans.
Interestingly, as per Transfermarkt, Hannibal actually shares the same representatives as recently departed Leeds star Georginio Rutter.
Given Leeds blamed Rutter for being ‘persistent and adamant’ in his determination to leave for Brighton, that would certainly make negotiations interesting if they do indeed try and jump ahead of Burnley.
Hannibal is an aggressive box-to-box midfielder
Ever since a brief cameo from the bench in just his second ever senior appearance for Manchester United in a 4-0 defeat at Liverpool, Hannibal has become renowned for his aggressive style of play.
In fact, during a loan spell at Birmingham City a couple of seasons ago, manager John Eustace actually had to warn Hannibal to control it better.
Despite the links with Man United, he could certainly be a player the crowd grow to really enjoy, as long as he doesn’t cross the line.
Via the Daily Star, Eustace said: “I was contemplating bringing him [Hannibal] off at half-time, if I am going to be honest,” Eustance said after the match. “I spoke to him, spoke to the staff and he assured me he’d be OK. I think it lasted about four minutes.
“It’s something we have got to watch but he plays on the edge, that’s why he’s so good, a top player. I am certainly not going to stop him from doing what he does but he has to realise the importance of managing the games at times.
“He didn’t get sent off so it makes no difference to me, we brought him off because he was running the risk and that’s it. He might have got sent off on another day and when he made that tackle I thought ‘I have got to get him off’.”
Receive a digest of our best Leeds content each week direct to your mailbox
