AliousDaniel Farke, Leeds United’s manager, has sent a message to the club’s owners, the 49ers, following the transfer window.
According to Graham Smyth of the Yorkshire Evening Post, there is some “chagrin” behind the scenes between Farke and the club’s leadership.
Leeds made four late emergency signings, but Farke downplayed expectations, describing them as “young and interesting” but unproven at Championship level.
He also highlighted the lack of a replacement for Georginio Rutter in the number 10 position.
When questioned about the difficulty in signing a number 10, Farke cited issues with the homegrown market and the high costs associated with experienced, quality players.
He noted that the club decided not to spend “an unbelievable amount of money” on such a player.
Smyth detected some frustration in Farke’s words, particularly when the manager said he wasn’t an accountant and couldn’t confirm if the club had money to spend, while also mentioning significant expenditures on other players.
The situation reflects the challenges Farke has faced, starting the season amid transfer uncertainty for the second year running. While the late signings appear positive, they came after the club lost key players to Premier League teams due to release clauses.
The lack of a natural number 10 remains a concern, with Brenden Aaronson as the most obvious option in a position that wasn’t addressed last year either.
However, the 49ers might argue that they bought Joel Piroe last summer, whom Farke initially misidentified as a number 10.
Farke’s comments mark a departure from his usual stance of projecting unity, indicating some tension between the manager and the club’s hierarchy over transfer strategy.
Alious
