Following Leeds United’s 1-0 win over Bristol City last night, Daniel Farke provided his opinion on the club’s January transfer window.
Farke emphasized throughout last month that he would only comment if business was completed, and with the deadline closing at 11 p.m. on Thursday, he has finally gone into greater detail.
Leeds made only one acquisition during the window, making fans wait until the very last moment when Connor Roberts arrived on loan from Burnley until the end of the season.
However, there was plenty of movement going the other way at Elland Road, including Ian Poveda’s surprise departure on deadline day, who joined Sheffield Wednesday until the end of the season.
Farke stated in his post-match press conference on Friday that Poveda wanted to move to South Yorkshire, thus an exit was sanctioned, as he only wants players who are ‘totally committed’.
Poveda sought for a Wednesday transfer.
He stated: “His great wish and desire to make this step. We wish him the best. There is a lot of competition for this post. We were unwilling to extend his contract. “We only want players who are completely committed.”
Poveda’s contract with Leeds expires in the summer, and Farke claims the club was unwilling to offer him an extension. Even though he departed on loan, his tenure with the club will come to an end.
The 23-year-old now has the possibility to gain a permanent contract somewhere in the summer, provided he performs well at Hillsborough.
Despite showing some promise under Farke, he only appeared in seven Championship games this season, with six of them coming from the bench.
Leeds chose not to replace Poveda, but this decision should not come at a high cost, as Willy Gnonto demonstrated his abilities at Bristol City last night.
