Zach Clough signed for Nottingham Forest late in the transfer window, while Leeds failed to buy a striker.
Leeds United boss Garry Monk offered a not to subtle hint to the club’s board in January that they bodged the transfer window by leaving their business until the last minute.
Speaking to BBC Radio Leeds he said: “Ideally from my situation I guess, and we’ve briefly spoken about it, we need to improve the planning, we don’t want to be doing the business all on the last day.”
This left the Whites adding two wingers on deadline day on loan, Alfonso Pedraza and Modou Barrow, but missing out on a striker they needed.
Leeds United manager Garry Monk
Rival Championship clubs meanwhile managed to add one, with Wigan signing Omar Bogle and Bristol City bringing in Matty Taylor, but one of the most impressive deals was Nottingham Forest’s surprise late move for Bolton’s Zach Clough.
Read more: £15m clause to bargain deal? Leeds United signing Modou Barrow valued highly by Swansea
Forest have been in the doldrums this season in comparison to Leeds, and were well beaten at Elland Road a fortnight ago, and are 15 places behind the Whites in the league.
Their ownership situation has been in a muddle all month long due to a failed takeover, meaning any transfer window ‘planning’ was non-existent as opposed to simply ‘needing improvement’.
Did Monk have a valid point with his remarks about Leeds’ fixture schedule?
Yet it was they, rather than Leeds, who showed the nous to go after Zach Clough, Bolton’s leading goalscorer for the season, who has impressed previously in the Championship and is just 21-years-old.
Sheffield United’s Aaron Ramsdale saves a shot from Bolton Wanderers’ Zach Clough
The Daily Mail reported early on deadline day that Forest had lodged an enquiry for the forward, Leeds were also keen, but the Whites did not pursue their interest.
With Leeds needing a striker to back up Chris Wood, promising young talent Clough could have been ideal, and despite all the recent turmoil at Forest, they set it aside to pull off the coup of his signature.
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