Five free agent centre-backs Leeds United could sign amid injury woes including ex-Liverpool and Celtic men

Leeds United have been left on the brink of defensive crisis following news of lengthy lay-offs for Ethan Ampadu and Max Wober, with both suffering serious knee injuries in recent weeks. The latter will require surgery on a meniscus problem and faces around six weeks out, but club captain Ampadu is not expected to play again this year.

It leaves Daniel Farke with just two fit senior centre-backs and while James Debayo is highly-rated by his manager, he is entirely untried at first-team level. It could leave Leeds looking for ready-and-available cover and there are some interesting options currently without clubs - the YEP has taken a look at five below.

Joel Matip

A regular Liverpool starter as recently as two years ago, Matip offers bags of top-flight experience and can boast Champions League and Premier League honours from his time at Anfield. Injury issues, coupled with the signing of Ibrahima Konate, saw the 33-year-old’s minutes drop in recent campaigns and he was released upon the expiry of his contract earlier this year.

Matip is yet to find a new club but has been on the radar of Premier League teams including West Ham United and Wolves. An obvious issue for Leeds would be the Cameroon international’s wage demands, given his recent stint at a team regularly competing for major honours both domestically and in Europe.

Daniel Amartey

Besiktas recently terminated Amartey’s contract in somewhat strange circumstances, with a spokesperson for the club recently claiming the defender snuck out of the club’s offices to avoid a move to Turkish rivals Eyupspor - allegations he denies. It is claimed Amartey was open to leaving, but only for Germany or England.

Now a free agent, Amartey is on the lookout for a new club and as with Matip, boasts significant Premier League experience. The 29-year-old, who can play in defence or midfield, has recently been linked with a move to Celtic.

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Filip Benkovic

Croatian defender Benkovic was released by Udinese at the end of August, having spent the 2023/24 campaign on loan at Turkish outfit Trabzonspor. The 27-year-old played just two games in two years for Udinese, who he joined for free in 2022 after his release from Leicester.

Benkovic’s wage demands will likely be lower than Matip and Amartey, and the one-cap Croatian international boasts Championship experience during loan spells at Bristol City and Cardiff City. He also spent a season on loan at Celtic, helping them to the treble in 2018/19.

Paul Dummett

Thirty-three-year-old Dummett spent his entire career at boyhood club Newcastle United up until the point of his release earlier this summer, registering an impressive 213 appearances including a full Championship promotion campaign. However, it has been three years since he got into double figures for appearances in a single season.

Dummett has regularly been linked with a move to the Championship since leaving Newcastle and has more recently been tipped to join Wolves, who are in the midst of a defensive injury crisis. The experienced defender can operate comfortably at centre-back or left-back and has five caps for Wales.

Simon Kjaer

Danish international Kjaer has been at AC Milan since a loan spell in 2019 which was made permanent, with the defender still playing regularly right up until last season - he made 20 Serie A appearances. The 35-year-old decided to leave San Siro in search of a fresh challenge but is yet to find a new club.

Kjaer has vast European and international experience to his name, having also enjoyed spells at Roma, Sevilla, Wolfsburg and Lille among others, and was ranked 18th for the 2021 Ballon d’Or award. However, like Matip, his wage demands will likely be very high for a second-tier club.