A look at the latest Leeds United news this morning, Tuesday, 6 September.
Cody Gakpo 'one step away' from Leeds United move
Fabrizio Romano claims PSV winger Cody Gakpo was 'one step' away from a move to Leeds United this summer but the Whites will not be deterred by their deadline day knockback.
“So nothing happened with Man United, but in the last 24 hours of the transfer window, Leeds did something important,” Romano said via his his CaughtOffside substack. “Around lunchtime, Southampton submitted a proposal for Gakpo, but during negotiations between Southampton and PSV, Leeds made a really important bid, which was accepted by PSV.
“The player also agreed personal terms with Leeds, but Louis van Gaal called the player and told him that the best option was to stay at PSV before the World Cup, and then move in January or next summer. This Van Gaal call was really important for Gakpo, and that’s why the deal collapsed.
“Gakpo was one step away from Leeds, and I’m told they will try again in January. But it will be an open race because he’s a top talent and there is a lot of interest.”
Possession problem as Leeds fail to make the most of their dominance
Leeds United fans saw plenty of Tyler Adams and Marc Roca on Saturday during the Whites’ 5-2 loss to Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium. Jesse Marsch’s side boasted 68.9 per cent of possession in west London and a chunk of it came through the midfield pairing.
Adams recorded a season high of 107 touches in the game against the Bees, more than Brentford’s midfield three combined and certainly more than any other player in a Leeds shirt. Roca, on the other hand, touched the ball on 75 occasions, which is somewhat higher than his previous average of 57.
Leeds United fans saw plenty of Tyler Adams and Marc Roca on Saturday during the Whites’ 5-2 loss to Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium. Jesse Marsch’s side boasted 68.9 per cent of possession in west London and a chunk of it came through the midfield pairing.
Marsch should not need a second invitation to restore Leeds United's natural order
Nine-day breaks between matches are not common in the modern game outside an international break, but the timing of this pause for Leeds United could not be better. It’s been a good start to the season with the club in ninth and only needing 11 more wins from 32 matches to secure safety.
However, having a mini reset after a 5-2 mauling on the back of three winless games is no bad thing for Jesse Marsch’s side. Already, a few of the payers have been spotted enjoying some downtime after the Brentford loss before they begin preparations later this week for the Nottingham Forest match.
Facing a newly-promoted side under the lights of Elland Road is one thing, but it’s also pause enough for Marsch to really dig into where he needs to make improvements. There were pockets of redeeming quality in the three outings since Chelsea, but one point in nine is a backwards step from the opening weeks of the campaign.
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