Garry Monk has already brought ten players to the club since he arrived as the latest head coach, but he’s still looking to make further signings during the last five days of the transfer window, while shifting a few of the current squad.

He told the Yorkshire Post “I’ve said before that we do need to strengthen the squad. It’s a difficult long season and there are lot of games to play. We’ve got a lot of young players in the squad and it’s great to work with them but we are trying to add experience, just to help the young group. It’s important that we try and do that.”

But he didn’t give the paper any specifics about the players he’s hoping to sign, though he has said that he wants another central midfielder to play alongside Bridcutt. It’s no surprise that Monk wanted to improve that area of the squad after we looked so lightweight in the first game at QPR, though we looked far more solid at Hillsborough last Saturday with Bridcutt in the side.

Sky have reported that we’re close to agreeing a deal with Roma to sign midfielder Dario Meadows, which will initially be a loan deal, but with the option to convert it into a permanent transfer. The 17-year-old, plays mainly as an attacking midfielder, but he can also operate at full-back, and is originally from Kent though his family moved to Italy when he was very young.

Another possible signing from Italy is 23-year-old Uruguayan striker Felipe Avenatti, who has yet to agree a new deal with his current club Ternana. But their coach Benito Carbone has told the Italian media he wants to keep Avenatti, and is working with his agent to try to get him to renew his contract.

If Monk is to bring new players in he will also have to trim the wage bill by getting rid of some of the players he inherited who aren’t part of his plans. Luke Murphy has had a chequered career at Leeds and last seemed to be in favour during the reign of Neil Readfearn. He has yet to make the squad for a league game this season, and Sheffield United are said to be interested in taking him off our hands.

Souleymane Doukara looked good in spells last season, but his career has yet to recover from the 8 game ban he got for biting, and although the player continues to deny he was guilty of that offence he is likely to be another player who moves on by the end of the month.

But at least Murphy and Doukara got a game at Luton on Tuesday, which is more than can be said for Toumani Diagouraga. The big Frenchman only arrived at Leeds in January, but Monk clearly doesn’t rate him, as he hasn’t featured since the QPR defeat. All offers will be gratefully received.

When Monk first arrived it seemed likely that Marco Silvestri would also be leaving us soon, but he had a good game at Luton, and with Robert Green being less than convincing for Leeds so far, the Italian keeper might be kept on to give Monk another goalkeeping option.

This season there will be no more emergency loans, as FIFA have put a stop to that sort of caper outside the transfer windows, so Monk has until Wednesday night to finalise a squad that he’s happy with until the new year.

Photo: Action Images

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