Five midfield free agents Leeds United could sign after double injury blow including former Daniel Farke general

Leeds United suffered a fresh injury blow on Tuesday evening as Ilia Gruev limped off during the 1-1 draw against Norwich City. The Bulgarian looks to have suffered a knee injury which manager Daniel Farke admitted ‘doesn’t look good’, although further assessments will take place ahead of Friday’s trip to Sunderland.

With Ethan Ampadu already out until the new year, Leeds are now bordering on crisis in midfield with only summer arrivals Ao Tanaka and Joe Rothwell fit - and even then, neither are naturally defensive options. It leaves recruitment chiefs with a decision to make and there are some intriguing options currently without a club - the YEP has taken a look at five below.

Christoph Kramer

Farke could be tempted to make contact with a former player of his, with experienced midfielder Christoph Kramer without a club since leaving Borussia Monchengladbach. The 33-year-old called time on a decade-long spell with Gladbach in August and is yet to find a new home.

Kramer’s entire career has been spent in Germany and so Leeds could tempt the 33-year-old into a fresh challenge, possibly leaning on the midfielder’s former loan teammate Max Wober for a positive reference. The 12-cap German international carries bags of top-flight and European experience during his time at Gladbach, playing regularly right up until last season.

Francis Coquelin

French midfielder Coquelin is yet to find a new club after his surprise release from Villarreal in June, but can boast excellent pedigree at the top level of European football. A graduate of the Arsenal academy, he won two FA Cups with the Gunners during a promising 10-year spell before his permanent exit in 2018.

Since then, Coquelin has played regularly for Valencia and Villarreal, winning the Europa League and making 107 appearances across all competitions for the latter. His wages could be an issue for a team like Leeds but it would be a great addition to the midfield.

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Cheikhou Kouyaté

If Leeds would rather look a little closer to home then Kouyaté is the pick of defensive midfielders to leave a Premier League club over the summer, having been released by Nottingham Forest. The 34-year-old played just 12 league games for Forest last season but boasts regular top-flight football at West Ham United and Crystal Palace beforehand.

Kouyaté also has 92 Senegal caps to his name and so would provide plenty of experience, and is also able to cover at centre-back - another current problem area for Leeds. Like the other two, his wages might be a little on the pricey side and there is thought to be top-flight interest.

Muhamed Bešić

And if international experience is what Leeds are looking for, then 47-cap Bosnia and Herzegovina midfielder Bešić could present an option more in their price range. The 32-year-old most recently played for Hungarian outfit Ferencvaros, for whom he won three league titles in as many years and also featured in all three European competitions.

Bešić can also boast both Premier League and Championship experience, having spent seasons on loan at Middlesbrough and Sheffield United during his seven-year spell at Everton. The midfielder also has links to Farke’s homeland, Germany, having got his first taste of senior football at Hamburger SV.

Leonardo Lopes

An obvious issue with the aforementioned names is that they are all over 30, with no medium-to-long-term value - albeit that’s not what Leeds need. But there is an intriguing younger option in the form of 25-year-old Leonardo Lopes, who was released by Belgian club Cercle Brugge earlier this summer.

The midfielder actually came through Peterborough United’s academy before spells at Wigan Athletic and Hull City, the latter earning him plenty of Championship experience. But while the Portugal youth international can operate deeper, his preferred position is the same as Tanaka or Rothwell in being a little further forward.