Daniel Farke had boxes that he wanted to tick if he was to break his habit of not signing free agents.
The Leeds United manager has not been shy in his opinions about adding players after the end of the transfer window. But these are extraordinary circumstances at Leeds, with defensive midfield pair Ethan Ampadu and Ilia Gruev ruled out with long-term knee injuries and a lack of experienced depth in that position and at centre-back.
It would have been hard for United to prepare for the injury nightmare they faced in the week before the October international break when they lost Ampadu and Gruev, leaving Ao Tanaka and Joe Rothwell as the first-choice partnership and 18-year-old Charlie Crew as back-up. At centre-back, Pascal Struijk and Joe Rodon have been solid but Max Wober has been on the treatment table with a knee injury, leaving 19-year-old James Debayo as cover.
The ability to fill in both positions was one of Farke’s requirements when looking at free agents. So too was fitness and an ability to contribute quickly, which are his main hold-ups about signing free agents outside the transfer window. Getting the right character to fit in with an established group environment while understanding they will mostly play a supporting role when it comes to minutes was key.
The process to identify Frenchman Josuha Guilavogui took time. His signing is not a shock after he posed for photos with fans while watching the last two home wins at Elland Road against Sheffield United and Watford — it was weeks in the making. Leeds looked at Cheikhou Kouyate, formerly of West Ham United, Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest, but the possibility of a deal fell away.
There were rumours, batted away with a degree of amusement by Farke, of visits to Thorp Arch for a growing cast of thirtysomething defensive midfielders including ex-Arsenal man Francis Coquelin. In 34-year-old ex-Wolfsburg, Atletico Madrid and Mainz player Guilavogui, they have the man who fits the bill.
The 6ft 2in (188cm) Frenchman has seven senior international caps and started his career at St Etienne before moving to Atletico. Having spent the bulk of his career in defensive midfield, Guilavogui can play at centre-back and did so in the majority of his appearances in his one-year contract at Mainz last season. Comfortable on the ball, he also offers pace to cover when playing at the back and reads the game well.
Guilavogui showcased those traits in a 0-0 draw with RB Leipzig in March in the Bundesliga when preventing a counter attack (shown in the stills below). When Ludovic Ajorque’s misplaced pass was intercepted by Leipzig, Guilavogui read the danger and covered ground to cut off a quick one-two…
… stepping in to regain possession and start another phase of attack for Mainz by offering a passing option inside.
While Guilavogui impressed during his spell with Mainz, his game time was hampered by a hamstring injury in his second appearance. It limited him to 11 league appearances. Maintaining fitness and being available to Farke will be crucial while Leeds wait on Ampadu and Gruev’s anticipated returns in the New Year. There are similarities between his arrival at Mainz and his signing for Leeds — in a crisis he has become the man to call.
“We signed him two weeks after deadline day last season to cover a defensive crisis,” says Conor Garratt, Mainz fan and host of podcast Orderly Q-ing. “We went into the season with a small squad and all of a sudden two of the starting centre-backs got long-term injuries.
“We didn’t see a lot of him before February (due to injury), after which point we improved defensively, so he was a bit-part player. There was a run where he was more regular in the team but he was largely used to close out games. He was a good guy in the dressing room, a real leader and would get everyone geed up for games. Unfortunately, we just didn’t see too much of him on the pitch.”
Guilavogui’s 341 senior career appearances, concentrated in his spells at Wolfsburg and St Etienne, point to a player capable of contributing regularly when needed. While that is not the expectation at Elland Road, fitness was a crucial factor for Farke. United are hopeful that Guilavogui could be available for selection in time for Saturday’s trip to Bristol City, pending a work permit.
Given Farke’s preferred style of play, it is no surprise that Guilavogui is comfortable on the ball should he need to act as a playmaker. He is capable of turning out of tight spaces and finding team-mates to start an attack after winning the ball as well as picking out more ambitious passes. The stills below show one example against Stuttgart in February.
After spotting the run of left-winger Nelson Weiper, Guilavogui played a long ball to release the forward in behind the opposition back line.
Though playmaking is less of a priority given the areas of the pitch that Guilavogui is needed, Leeds have felt the benefit of players embracing positive passes from deeper positions in recent weeks. Tanaka and Rothwell have won plaudits while Struijk continues to be the first line of attack at the back.
“He’s a very good all-round defensively minded player,” says Garratt. “He works hard, he’s not going to be a weak link, he’s good physically and good with the ball. One of the reasons Mainz wanted him at centre-back was for playing out and getting the ball into midfield, so having someone good on the ball helps that. You could see what he was bringing to the team in organisation and communication, that was helping to prevent danger, but his lack of pre-season meant he struggled.
“If you can get a player with his intelligence and his attributes who won’t need to play 90 minutes every game, then moving to Leeds is a good fit.”
(Top photo: Guilavogui holds off Harry Kane in the Bundesliga last season. Silas Schueller/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
