Leeds United considering 291-game Premier League veteran free agent as Farke seeks injury solution

The 34-year-old has been without a club since the summer when he was released by Nottingham Forest at the end of a two-year contract that yielded 36 appearances. Last season the 92-cap Senegal international started twice and came off the bench 10 times as Forest avoided the drop, but his total minutes Premier League minutes amounted to just 208.

With 291 Premier League appearances to his name after stints with West Ham United, Crystal Palace and Forest, Kouyaté would bring vast experience to the Leeds squad. He won four league titles in Belgium and an African Cup of Nations with Les Lions de la Teranga, but as with all the players the Whites are casting an eye over, the length of time it would take for them to get up to speed in terms of match fitness will be a serious consideration.

Speaking after the loss of both Ethan Ampadu and Ilia Gruev to serious knee injuries Daniel Farke admitted Leeds would look into the possibility of a free agent signing but made his reservations known.

"If I'm really honest, I'm not a big friend of signing players who are out of contract in the beginning of October, because it means more or less they are out of team training since May," he said. "That means they are out of team training since whatever, five months. And even if you bring them in, it lasts also a while until they are really ready to go and fully fit and really could play first team football and then quite often the player who is right now injured for the next few weeks, he's even even back in perhaps and ready to go earlier than the players who are out for since five months.

"I think quite often it's a bit like a panic buy or like to pretend to do something anyhow. I think it's professional to check it, and sometimes out of coincidence or out of a special situation, there could be someone out who really suits the needs in this moment."

Farke's players who are not on international duty are scheduled to return to training at Thorp Arch on Friday after a few days off and there is no suggestion that Kouyaté or any other free agents have trained with the club yet.

Farke's immediate answer to the defensive midfield problem came in the form of two number 8s at Sunderland, with Joe Rothwell and Ao Tanaka filling in for their more defensive-minded colleagues. The German believes he has two of the best passers in the division in Bournemouth loanee Rothwell and summer signing Tanaka, but has revealed they will need to work on positioning to give Leeds the defensive cover and control they need.