Daniel Farke eyed a reunion with a Tottenham Hotspur player at Leeds United last summer and now the German gaffer has a real chance of landing his signature.
Farke will be in the market for new additions this summer regardless of whether Leeds will be in the Premier League or the Championship. But of course, promotion will mean a higher calibre of player.
Central midfield is likely to be one area of the squad that Farke will look to improve at Elland Road. Tyler Adams, Marc Roca, Weston McKennie and Adam Forshaw all left the Yorkshire club last summer.
It meant that a number of midfielders have come in under Farke’s rule. Ethan Ampadu, Glen Kamara and Ilia Gruev were signed while Archie Gray was promoted but the area of the pitch still needs strengthening.
Ampadu is playing in defence and Gray at right-back, leaving just Kamara and Gruev as options. Farke had the ability to call on one of England’s best young midfielders in Oliver Skipp while he was Norwich gaffer.
The German had Skipp on loan from Tottenham at Norwich and Skipp played 47 times for The Canaries during the 202-21 season in which Farke secured promotion. Farke described Skipp as “perfect”.
Daniel Farke eyed reunion with Oliver Skipp at Leeds
Fast forward to the summer of 2023, and reports claim that Farke wanted to sign Skipp again – on loan from Spurs. But it comes after Skipp played an important role for Spurs under Antonio Conte in 22-23.
However he is lacking game time under Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham this season. The Aussie gaffer prefers the likes of Yves Bissouma, Pape Matar Sarr, Rodrigo Bentancur and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.
Skipp is now 23 and with his lack of game time at Tottenham becoming more of a trend, reports claim he is set to be sold in the summer. That may place Farke and Leeds on red alert in the coming weeks.
Leeds now have a real chance of signing Skipp from Tottenham
With Spurs willing to let the midfielder go and Leeds needing a player like the Tottenham ace, it makes sense that Farke revisits a possible reunion. But there is one thing Leeds must do to strike a transfer.
Promotion is an absolute necessity to sign Skipp on two fronts with the first being that he is likely to cost a solid amount of cash. Spurs will not want to lose a homegrown player without being paid for it.
Secondly, because Skipp will not want to join a club in the Championship given he has been there and done it. Leeds have never had a better chance to sign Skipp than now from Spurs, if they are promoted.