Daniel Farke reveals only Leeds United transfer guarantee as he considers what Whites 'need to do'
Daniel Farke's first words on Leeds United January transfer activity ruled nothing in or out but he has revealed a guarantee of what will not change about his squad this month.
The Whites manager was reluctant to address the transfer window during the month of December, beyond stating that he expected a quiet month unless Leeds were forced into the market. Like some of his predecessors before him, Farke is not generally in favour of doing much business midway through the season because it can disrupt the togetherness of a squad.
When asked immediately after the 3-3 draw in Hull on Saturday Farke again declined to comment on specifics but did not close the door on the idea of strengthening.
"From tomorrow we can speak about this," he said. "Today I had no time to think about new incomings or outgoings. I will also allow myself to think a bit more about this, what we need to do."
Joe Gelhardt is expected to leave the club on loan this month, although the forward was called into the squad on Saturday for the first time since October 26. A new hamstring problem for Patrick Bamford opened up a vacancy for an attacker but Gelhardt was not used during the game. Leeds are thought to have looked at a pair of forward options and a defender ahead of the window but club sources have insisted they don't anticipate significant movement.
Farke's only other reference to potential transfer activity came when he was asked if the inexperience he keeps referring to when discussing his squad is a factor in the club's consideration of business this month. All he would say is that regardless of what the club decide to do he will still go into February with a 'relatively young' squad.
"First of all I hope Pascal Struijk and Ilia Gruev and Patrick Bamford and Junior Firpo are not too far away to help us and join us, this helps us in general," he said. "But again it's not like we sign right now four 35-year-old guys for experience. We have decided to go with a pretty young group and to earn lots of money last summer and to stick to our young prospects and want to deliver them. But then you also have to accept that they're not steeled with 300 battles on Championship level.
“We have many players playing either their first games on Championship level or first or second season. We know in terms of responsibility, experience and consistency especially they're not the end products and sometimes there are mistakes. I would also prefer we cruise easily but this is also what I was expecting, that it will be a long road. We have to keep going developing individually and the whole squad. We've done pretty well, we're top of the league after a busy period, unbeaten for a while and on a really good path. But we don't win 20 in a row and cruise easily. If we do something in January I can guarantee already right now we will still have a relatively young squad, it will be a tight race to the end and we won't be perfect in each and every situation."
Farke was referencing mistakes after a goalkeeping blunder from Illan Meslier gifted Hull a way back into the game. Leeds wasted a 3-1 lead at the MKM Stadium and Meslier came under scrutiny for his role in all three of Hull’s goals as they secured a point against the league leaders. The manager refused to point the finger specifically at his goalkeeper after the game.