Good Morning. It's Wednesday 26th August, and here are the latest headlines from Elland Road…
Whites claim second away victory in four days at Nottingham Forest
Leeds beat Nottingham Forest for the second time in four days at the City Ground last night, progressing to the third round of the EFL Cup. Even with six changes in the starting line-up, Farke's men ran out 2-0 victors, with second half goals from Daniel James and James Justin. There was clear continuity in the way the team played, though it also underlined that more work is needed on squad depth. The assured Nico Elvedi was certainly an exception. He stepped into central defence for an excellent debut that leaves manager Daniel Farke with a selection headache ahead of Saturday's game against Brentford at Elland Road.
Fellow fringe players Tanaka, Longstaff and Justin worked hard in midfield, whilst similarly, Okafor and Nmecha did a job in the final third. Nmecha should have scored the second goal; instead he kicked fresh air and left Justin to force the issue. Forest defender Nico Williams was initially credited with the goal, not that he would have thanked anyone for it. Sean Longstaff and Dan James combined beautifully for the opening goal early on in the second half, with the Welsh International smashing the ball right footed across goal, beating veteran keeper Sels for pace.
Forest were the better side early on. Ola Aina almost caught James Trafford too far across his goal when Nicolás Domínguez spread the ball wide, but Trafford covered his near post. Minutes later Justin had to head a goalbound Igor Jesus effort clear. Longstaff, playing as the inside-right in Leeds’ now-customary 3-4-2-1, dinked a shot from a tight angle so far wide that Forest won a throw-in. He should have scored five minutes later, stabbing at Sels when he ought to have found the net. Ampadu had released James with a beautiful ball around the corner to create the chance.
Too often Nmecha failed to anticipate balls into the box and could not crane his neck to meet Noah Okafor’s 28th-minute delivery. But the moment of the half belonged to a player Leeds select almost every week. They should have been caught on the counter in the 30th minute; when Chris Wood nutmegged Tarik Muharemovic it looked certain, only for Joe Rodon to slide in with a tackle worthy of the celebration that followed. James had a shot saved from a tight angle and, when the ball came back to him, teed up Nmecha for a cheeky flick that went wide.
After James had fired Leeds in-front, Trafford protected the lead with a wonderful low save from Domínguez after some sloppy play by Muharemovic; its fair to say the Whites have not had a keeper this influential since the Nigel Martyn era 23 years ago. Trafford also tipped over from Domínguez, though the save was nowhere near as difficult. Forest had by then made a quadruple substitution in an attempt to get back into the game, but Farke responded with replacements who were better than the players they replaced, seeing the game out comfortably.
Four new arrivals expected
With just a week left of the summer transfer window, Leeds are pushing to complete four more deals. According to Simon Jones from the Daily Mail (often viewed as closely aligned with the 49ers), the club are targeting another striker, winger, defender and keeper before the deadline. Mykhailo Mudryk has been the winger most frequently linked with a move to Elland Road in recent days. However, the report confirms that Leeds’ latest loan bid for the 25-year-old has been rejected.
The club have been actively seeking a left-sided winger all summer, with several high-profile, big-money options discussed, so it remains to be seen who ultimately arrives. On the defensive side, free agent Diogo Leite is under consideration after leaving Union Berlin. The 29-year-old is primarily a centre-back but is comfortable playing across the back line and would provide useful additional cover. Jones also reiterates that Eintracht Frankfurt’s Michael Zetterer remains the preferred option for backup goalkeeper.
Talks have taken place over a potential £4.3 million move. Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg has since provided an update, stating that no agreement has yet been reached with either the player or the club. Zetterer is not currently pushing for a departure, preferring to stay and compete for the number-one spot at Frankfurt unless Leeds significantly improve their offer. Should the 31-year-old join, he would serve as understudy to James Trafford.
Some observers have questioned the pursuit, noting that if Zetterer arrives, Leeds would not meaningfully gain any advantage by allowing Perri just to leave on loan, without any obligation to buy. No specific striker is named in Jones’ piece. Separate reports today have linked Leeds with RB Leipzig’s Conrad Harder. Harder is a highly dynamic, physical and versatile “complete forward” who operates primarily as a centre-forward for RB Leipzig and the Denmark national team.
Often described as an all-action striker, he combines the traditional attributes of a physical target man with the mobility demanded by modern, high-pressing systems. He is left-footed, with exceptional mid-range shooting ability and ferocious power that allows him to score from tight angles or distance. Being part of the Red-Bull network could pave the way for a deal to be concluded at short notice if needed.
Tom the Cat wrote on 26 Aug 2026 08:48 am
A very good result at Nottingham last evening but the wasted chances will be a problem unless we find a second striker. IMO Nmecha is not the man for the job with my opinion helped by him turning away laughing after missing a sitter with the score 0-0.
Irish Ian wrote on 26 Aug 2026 08:25 am
Morning all.
I'd be surprised at 4 new arrivals unless they include kids.
Conrad Harder on the bench would be dad joke of the season.
Try Harder
Play Harder
Should have played Harder
Etc.
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