Iker Muniain features: 2 free agents Leeds United should still be looking to sign | OneFootball

FLW outline two players Leeds United could pick up from the free agent market since the close of the transfer window.

Leeds United had to navigate a difficult transfer window but ended it strong with eight new faces through the door at Elland Road, which could make all the difference as they target a return to the Premier League in 2024/25.

In terms of key personnel last year, Archie Gray, Glen Kamara, Georginio Rutter, and Crysencio Summerville have all left the club, alongside other fringe players or loaned-out players as well, meaning that Leeds' outgoing column has been far larger than their incoming one.

However, with parachute payments halved in their second year, and reports emerging earlier in the summer that they may have to generate around £100 million in transfer fees, they have been in need of sales.

Joe Rodon came the other way from Tottenham Hotspur as part of the deal for Gray, and Leeds also acquired Alex Cairns and Joe Rothwell early on in the window. Jayden Bogle's capture from Sheffield United is particularly eye-catching, but there was a long gap between his signing and Leeds' final four additions, which had some fans concerned up until the deadline.

They ended the last week of the window well with four further signings, with Manor Solomon coming in on a loan deal from Spurs, whilst their final three signings were not domestic-based like the first five. Largie Ramazani joined from UD Almeria, Ao Tanaka from Fortuna Düsseldorf, and Isaac Schmidt via Swiss side FC St. Gallen.

Leeds fans will hope that they have the required depth, quality, and creativity in their ranks to mount another promotion push. However, many had hoped for one last addition on deadline day, with no natural attacking midfielder or central playmaker added to Daniel Farke's ranks this summer.

Leeds have had a thorough pruning of the squad, but could still look to add new faces. There still remain multiple free agents available that they could also sign if the club's resources are stretched thin until January. Here, we take a look at two free agents Leeds could still target, should they look to fill that void in attacking midfield outside of the window closing.

Emiliano Marcondes

With midfield clearly an area to assess despite the additions of Rothwell and Tanaka, Leeds could be looking at a versatile midfield option who can improve their creativity and give them the option to play a three-man midfield, with the likes of Brenden Aaronson, Rothwell, and Tanaka all capable of operating ina box-to-box role ahead of either Ethan Ampadu or Ilia Gruev.

Despite signing Rothwell, they lack both depth and quality and another player in the box-to-box role with serious output could help make Leeds an even more impressive team from midfield next year, and give them the required depth for another automatic promotion push, and Emiliano Marcondes on a short-term deal ticks plenty of boxes for them.

Leeds fans may also be asking for a more technical footballer next to Ethan Ampadu at the base of midfield and Tanaka and Rothwell can both be that, which means a presence higher up the pitch who can get both goals and assists would be beneficial.

Marcondes is out of contract after leaving AFC Bournemouth and spent the last couple of seasons out on loan with Danish side FC Nordsjælland and Scottish side Hibernian

However, he has performed well at second tier level for the Cherries and Brentford previously. He can play in attacking-midfield, as a winger, or even as part of a front two in attack.

The 28-year-old's versatility makes him an intriguing player for many Championship sides, in spite of some consistency issues in the past.

Marcondes has just been released by Bournemouth after his contract expired at the Vitality Stadium, making a deal potentially easy to strike, and he would bring plenty of energy, composure, and a spark of creativity as well, should Leeds feel the need to have a player of that type on their bench to call upon occasionally when searching a goal.

His dribbling ability could complement well with Ampadu and Tanaka, who could sit deeper to collect the ball in the deepest phase of build up from the centre-backs and allow Marcondes the freedom to get forward and roam into the attacking third.

Even if he is not quite the out-and-out playmaker Leeds were looking for, he has something a little different to both Gruev and Tanaka.

Marcondes could be a bargain short-term deal until at least January, which is low-risk for a player who can offer something to promotion-winning teams at this level, as he has done for two separate clubs previously.

Iker Muniain

The last time Leeds signed a 31-year-old Spanish midfielder as a free agent turned out to be an inspired decision. Possibly one of the greatest Leeds signings ever, and the best in recent memory, Pablo Hernandez signed on an initial loan which swiftly became permanent from Qatari side Al-Arabi SC.

'El Mago’ or ‘The Magician’ was an even better signing than many envisaged, and became the shining light for Leeds during their most recent years in the Championship. The Spaniard picked up three Player of the Season awards during his time at the club despite joining in his early 30s, and he became the heartbeat of the team. Under Marcelo Bielsa, he played some of the best football of his career, which culminated in that promotion in 2019-20.

Leeds have lost Rutter to Brighton and require a player of real quality, even if they are a little older. A true playmaker who can be a difference-maker and match-winner in the final third felt paramount, even if the likes of Willy Gnonto, Ramazani, Solomon, and Aaronson can take over some of the creative burden this term.

Munian would be an even better option and he resembles Hernandez in many ways, as a diminutive but extremely skillful footballer. His technical ability should be far above Championship level, but he is the perfect playmaker that this Leeds team needs.

Muniain has spent all of his career with Athletic Bilbao so far before his release this summer. He has the vision and flair to absolutely dominate the second tier, although it is likely that his wage demands would be fairly hefty. That is where saving money on transfer fees could benefit Leeds, if they can convince a player of his quality to drop into the Championship for a year.

More of a natural creative No.10 compared to Marcondes, the twice-capped Spanish international has far more quality to immediately start in the first-team, and has rightly drawn plenty of comparisons with Hernandez in terms of his skill-set and all-round quality. It's an ambitious move but one that Leeds should at least be looking to pursue, even if Muniain's answer is likely to be that he is looking at offers elsewhere.

He has bags of experience, with the majority of Leeds' starting lineup likely to be under the age of 30. Not only that, but he helped captain Bilbao to a Copa del Rey triumph at the end of last season. His leadership and experiences as a player would be invaluable to what is still a young group of Leeds players, some of whom will have grown plenty since the play-off final defeat, and others who would benefit from the presence of someone of Muniain's calibre.