Leeds United are expected to make three new signings before the deadline this month, as Daniel Farke looks to put the finishing touches to a squad he hopes is good enough for promotion.
The club have only three options to cover both full-back positions at the moment. It comes after waving goodbye to a whole heap of right-backs including Archie Gray, Connor Roberts and Jamie Shackleton.
Replacements for Glen Kamara and Crysencio Summerville are also required, but perhaps a slightly-more attacking midfielder after Kamara failed to score a single goal for Farke’s men before joining Rennes.
At full-back, Sam Byram is providing cover for new signing Jayden Bogle and left-back Junior Firpo. But Byram is injury prone and Firpo is no stranger to the treatment room, meaning Leeds need another.
What Zlatan Ibrahimovic said about Leeds United target in July
The likelihood is that Leeds will want a left-back over a right-back, because Byram is right-footed. A few have been linked in PEC Zwolle star Anselmo MacNulty, or more recently, Wolves left-back Hugo Bueno.
Another on Leeds’ radar is Fode Ballo-Toure with Milan desperate to sell the Senegal star. The 27-year-old rejected a move to Besiktas recently, leaving Leeds and Watford in pole position to land the Milan star.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has become a sporting director of sorts at Milan following his retirement and he spoke of Ballo-Toure during Paulo Fonseca’s first press conference, after Fonseca was announced as manager.
As per Football Italia, Ibrahimovic discussed the future Ballo-Toure and Divock Origi after returning from loans: “Origi and Ballo-Touré are called up, but for Milan Futuro. They will not be part of the first team.”
The issues Leeds have with trying to sign Milan’s Fode Ballo-Toure
The chances of Leeds being able to convince Ballo-Toure to swap the glitz and glam of Milan for the second tier of English football is unlikely, even if on the fringes of Milan’s squad at this moment in time.
Then, being able to afford his wages which is likely to have spiked after his move to Milan. Even if Leeds did manage to sign him, can they offer him assurances he would start over Firpo? It seems unlikely.
He would be an expensive signing, whether that is on loan or permanently and Firpo is better anyway. The chances are, Ballo-Toure does not end up in Yorkshire this summer but Leeds do need a left-back.
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