Daniel Farke is one of the key driving forces behind Leeds United’s recruitment plans.
Those Leeds have undergone a complete overhaul of their recruitment team since 49ers Enterprises completed their full buyout of the club, Farke is the one with the final say.
Upon his appointment last summer, Farke made it clear he wanted to the job title of manager as apposed to head coach for this exact reason, though he will be working closely with Nick Hammond, Jordan Miles and Gretar Steinsson.
Farke’s influence on signings was clear during his first window in charge as he used his knowledge of the Bundesliga to bring in Ilia Gruev from Werder Bremen. The likes of Ao Tanaka and Nadiem Amiri were also looked at from Germany.
And it is likely to be more of the same again with the 49ers having placed their faith in Farke to ensure Leeds can go one better and win promotion next season.
What Farke has previously said about Leeds target Oliver Skipp
It certainly promises to be another busy summer of transfer activity at Elland Road, both in terms of incomings and outgoings.
Leeds will officially be able to start making signings from tomorrow onwards and they have already been linked with a number of players.
Alongside the likes of Alfie Gilchrist and Bobby De Cordova-Reid, another Premier League player has reportedly come onto the radar this morning in Tottenham’s Oliver Skipp.
Leeds are said to be interest in signing Skipp this summer if they lose one of their midfielders, and he is someone well known to Farke from earlier in his career.
Farke provided Skipp with his first real opportunity to play senior football at Norwich City, where he spent the 2020/21 campaign on loan. He played all but one of the Canaries’ 46 league matches as they lifted the Championship title.
The Leeds boss was left hugely impressed by the performances of Skipp during their time together, hailing him as a ‘top player and character’.
Via the East Anglian Daily Press, he said: “It’s difficult also for young players to handle that praise so I am quite careful in praising them too much but actions are more important than any words.
“When you look at Oliver’s season you can realise that he has played more or less every second in the league for us, for a side that has lots of competition in the squad.
“This says a lot about how much I rate him and how much I value him, I don’t want to praise him too much in public, it’s more like each and every day I keep on criticising him. I ask for more goals, for more assists, better passing choices, for many topics to improve.
“But my actions speak louder than my words. He plays each and every second for more or less each and every game for such a good side. He’s a top player and also a top character.”
Farke’s relationship with Skipp could help Leeds
Skipp hasn’t ever really been able to establish himself as a regular at Spurs since his loan spell at Norwich.
Just under half of his 106 appearances for Spurs have come as a substitute, with Ange Postecoglou very much using him sporadically last season.
It may be difficult for Leeds to prise Skipp to the Championship this summer but one advantage they certainly do have is the relationship he clearly has with Farke.
If Farke can persuade Skipp that Elland Road is the right place for him to come and play regularly, it just may be a deal they can somehow pull off.