It was if time hadn’t passed at all when Anton Stach found the back of the net with his late free-kick against Nottingham Forest. In one strike, the travelling Leeds United fans were transported back to last season when the midfielder produced stunning effort after stunning effort.
For Daniel Farke, it’s the perfect start and the perfect way to form the antidote to the disease known as second-season syndrome.
That said, the German will be the first to point out that there is still an enormous mountain to climb throughout the season and, crucially, the transfer window is still not shut.
|
Nationality |
Previous Club |
Fee |
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
James Trafford |
England |
Manchester City |
£40m |
|
Tarik Muharemovic |
Bosnia and Herzegovina |
Sassuolo |
£34m |
|
Nico Elvedi |
Switzerland |
Borussia Mönchengladbach |
£8.5m |
|
Harry Wilson |
Wales |
Fulham |
Free |
So far, the 49ers have backed their manager in full. They’ve broken their transfer record to welcome James Trafford, whilst also bringing in Nico Elvedi, Harry Wilson and Tarik Muharemovic, but still want more.
The next target through the door could be Michael Zetterer. The Eintracht Frankfurt goalkeeper is deemed surplus to requirements in Germany, leaving the Whites to take full advantage.
They could certainly do with another shot-stopper, too. With Lucas Perri still linked with a move away and Karl Darlow long gone, Farke could be left with just one senior goalkeeper in the form of Trafford. As transfer deadline day approaches, that is far from ideal.
Zetterer represents an experienced option who would provide ample backup for Trafford without costing a premium price. At 31 years old, the German should have no problem playing the role of No.2, given that’s exactly what he’s doing at Frankfurt right now.
With time ticking away in the transfer window, Leeds have also just been handed a major boost in pursuit of his signature.
Leeds gifted green light to sign Zetterer
As reported by German outlet BILD and relayed by Sport Witness, Leeds have been gifted the green light to sign Zetterer by Frankfurt.
The Bundesliga club are desperate to sell the goalkeeper, as they face a crisis of their own between the sticks. They want to sign Noah Atubolu this summer, but that would leave them with three goalkeepers, hence why they are trying to move Zetterer on.
Club-to-club negotiations will reportedly come easy, with a relatively cheap deal worth around €4m (£3m) likely to be on the table. The same can’t be said for the player’s side, however.
His agent has recently shot down rumours of an exit, which suggests that Zetterer won’t simply be forced out of Frankfurt in the closing stages of the window.
“We are very surprised by reports claiming Michael Zetterer is on the verge of a move. They are simply not true. Michael and his family are very happy in Frankfurt. A transfer is currently out of the question for him.”
There isn’t much time remaining for Leeds to convince the goalkeeper to change his stance. Whether he will have much choice in the matter remains to be seen, though. With their own ambitions in mind, Frankfurt need to make a sale happen.