Even ‘shield’ Daniel Farke tells Leeds United board it’s time to deliver in the transfer market

Daniel Farke says is happy to act as a human shield for Leeds United’s under-pressure board but warned they must deliver for him in the last days of the transfer window.

This is football’s political season as managers try to extract maximum transfer funds from owners. Leeds’ insisted he did not want to play such games, yet still planted a warning, channelling Elvis Presley in calling for “a little less conversation, a little more action”.

Farke recognises his squad needs more bodies, characters and experience as a bruising window which has unnerved some of the more suspicious minds on the terraces nears its conclusion. The next eight days are now or never time for clubs hoping to buy or loan players in 2024.

“We can’t spend whatever unbelievable amount of money on one player,” stressed Farke, whose side visit Sheffield Wednesday on Friday.

“I don’t want to speak about being optimistic (on signings). I like Elvis Presley, I want a little less conversation, a little more action.

“It’s important we have some incomings within the next days, and this is what we have to deliver to be competitive for the really top positions in this league.

“We definitely need a few additions because at the moment the group is too small.

“We have a very young group, I would say one of the smallest in the whole league, and we speak about 19 first-team players but within these 19 we have many players who have not played many games.

“First of all, it’s always the quality, then the character of the player, but to have more experienced lads around is also beneficial for us.

“As a manager you want the new signings sooner rather than later but I can’t go alone just with my own wallet and buy some players.

“We know what is necessary.”

The sales of Georginio Rutter and Crysencio Summerville when Brighton and Hove Albion and West Ham United triggered release clauses left Leeds all shook up. Although they received a combined £65m, replacements from the same price bracket will not move to the Championship on Championship wages.

That the Whites have not responded quicker to the loss of the duo, plus Archie Gray and Glen Kamara, has brought criticism of those above Farke but when asked if he thought he was having to front up on their behalf, he had no complaints.

“I’m the face of the club and I have to speak for the club and defend the club,” he argued.

“You have to always stick together as Leeds United to create a bit of this mentality. It’s us against the world.

“I’m here to bring the stability, I’m here to adapt to the reality.

“We all would have preferred to keep our best players or at least most of our best players. It was a little exodus, you have to say, of some key players and we know we have to rebuild a bit.

“I don’t want to hide behind this question, it’s more like we know what we have to do.

“I’ve also made it clear several times, I’m not here so that after my regime we’re still in the Championship, I want to bring this club back to the Premier League. For that we need the best possible squad and also quality.

“Be sure I’m the first one who is demanding quality. But I also have to be there for the club and a bit like a shield.

“I don’t want to cry for sympathy. I’m highly-paid to develop players.

“I’m fully committed to this job, and it was a difficult season last season. I wanted to bring stability, to create values. Obviously I also had in my head who could be the key players for this season, and a few of them sadly, left.

“I spoke in the recent weeks about how much I trust our board, our owners, to be there with good decisions, and we all know that something has to happen within the next 10 days. Everyone is aware.”

Max Wober is Leeds’ only fitness doubt for Friday’s Championship game, which kicks off at 8pm.