Leeds United have missed out on two midfield targets to Sunderland this summer already with Noah Sadiki joining Habib Diarra at the Stadium of Light, but neither will feature when the Whites make their way up to the North East in December.
Leeds have plenty of work to do to make their title-winning team capable of staying in the Premier League next season.
Their interest in signing players must materialise quick with the calibre of players needed also wanted by others in the same division, as they’ve found out the hard way with Sunderland.
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Sunderland agree £17million Noah Sadiki deal after securing £30m Habib Diarra signing despite Leeds United interest
Habib Diarra emerged on Leeds’ radar early in June with a £21.9million bid lodged to Strasbourg for his services, only for Sunderland to go much higher and strike a deal at £30.3million all in.
Having lost Jobe to Borussia Dortmund, the Black Cats have needed midfield recruitments, and their investment into Leeds targets continued with the agreement to sign Union SG’s Noah Sadiki for a reported £17million package.
(REUTERS/Phil Noble)
It sees Leeds ‘miss out’ on two players that were publicly part of their shortlist to strengthen in midfield, amongst others the 49ers have their eyes on, of course.
Leeds United to avoid potential harrowing Sadiki, Diarra reminder during December meeting with Sunderland
The worry when a rival signs a player that your club wanted is that you’re going to get a pretty bleak reminder of what your club could have had if they pulled the trigger.
For Leeds, Sadiki and Diarra though, there won’t be a chance in 2025 for the pair to run rings around the midfield and make their £47million combined fee look like money well spent in front of our very eyes.
That’s because the Sunderland v Leeds clash on December 27th is taking place during this year’s AFCON tournament, with Diarra’s Senegal taking on Sadiki’s DR Congo on the very same day.
It means both won’t be present for potentially as many as six games (on current scheduling), and it leaves a sizeable hole for Regis Le Bris to fill during the festive period, in particular when Leeds rock up to the Stadium of Light just after Christmas.
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