"It worries me" - Pundit warns Leeds United against move for ex-Nottingham Forest player | OneFootball

Carlton Palmer has given his view on reports that Leeds United are weighing up a move for free agent midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate.

Ex-England international turned pundit Carlton Palmer does not believe Leeds United should make a move for former Nottingham Forest midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate to solve their midfield injury crisis.

According to the Yorkshire Evening Post, Kouyate is "one of a small number of free agents" Leeds are considering after Ethan Ampadu and Ilia Gruev sustained serious knee injuries.

Ampadu is set to be sidelined for 10 weeks, while Gruev is expected to miss the next few months, so the Whites are weighing up a move for Kouyate, who is without a club after his release by Nottingham Forest this summer.

Kouyate made just 14 appearances in all competitions for Forest last season, with only four of those coming from the start, but he does have vast Premier League experience having previously represented West Ham United and Crystal Palace.

Leeds manager Daniel Farke admitted that he is "not a big friend of signing players who are out of contract in the beginning of October", but he did not rule out the possibility of adding to his squad following Ampadu and Gruev's injuries.

The Whites currently sit fifth in the Championship table after picking up 16 points from their first nine league games, and they are back in action when they host Sheffield United at Elland Road next Friday night.

Carlton Palmer sends Cheikhou Kouyate warning to Leeds United

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Palmer warned Leeds against making a move for Kouyate, and he insisted they should wait until the January transfer window to strengthen the squad.

"Given Leeds United's injury woes, especially in the midfield department, Daniel Farke is looking at players who are out of contract, and one of those players is Cheikhou Kouyate, who was released by Nottingham Forest in the summer," Palmer said.

"He's still without a club, and it worries me when a player has been released from a football club in the summer and has not been picked up, it is a problem.

"But Daniel Farke has long-term injury problems with both Ethan Ampadu and Ilia Gruev, both of them are going to be out long-term, and that might make Farke reluctantly look at what's available in the free market and Kouyate is one of those options.

"It might work out in a limited period, but Daniel Farke and I both have the same feelings about this, and he expressed his reservations about Leeds signing free agents at this stage of the season.

"I think what Leeds have got to go is try to get through this present moment, hopefully get one or two players back or get to the January transfer window and move to bring some quality players in.

"I don't think Kouyate is going to come in at 34 years old and make a big impression at Leeds with what they are planning to do for this season.

"As I said, with players who have been released by a football club in the summer and haven't been snapped up at this period of time, there is a reason for that."

Palmer's reservations about signing free agents at this stage of the season are understandable, and Farke has expressed similar concerns, but Leeds' midfield options have been severely depleted by the injuries to Ampadu and Gruev.

Farke deployed Ao Tanaka and Joe Rothwell in central midfield in the 2-2 draw at Sunderland last Friday night, but while the pair are both excellent technical players, they do not offer the same defensive protection that Ampadu or Gruev can provide.

Ampadu and Gruev could both return before the end of the year, but Farke will not want to rush them back into action, and the squad would become seriously stretched if Tanaka or Rothwell were to pick up an injury, which is a risk if they are forced to play regularly over the busy winter period.

With that in mind, a short-term deal for Kouyate could be a sensible option, and he would bring plenty of experience to Elland Road after spending the last decade playing in the Premier League.