Monk did not want 49-times international hovering around Leeds training HQ – report
By Alex Stevens
Sol Bamba was discarded outside of the transfer window because Garry Monk did not want him hanging around at Leeds, according to a report.
The Yorkshire Evening Post claim the former Elland Road captain was released in September as Monk “was worried about the club’s captain hovering around Thorp Arch with no prospect of playing”.
In a report that sheds light on the exits of Bamba and fellow discards Toumani Diagouraga and Luke Murphy, it is explained why the Leeds manager was willing to have a tighter squad than many rivals.
Bamba was released from his contract the day after the summer window shut and shortly afterwards signed for Cardiff as a free agent.
Diagouraga and Murphy were sent to train with the Leeds Under-23s and then released on loan in January, to second-tier clubs Ipswich and Burton respectively.
Those were regarded as examples of the ruthlessness of Monk, as the trio were all regulars under former Elland Road manager Steve Evans in the second half of last season.
Even Bamba’s status as club captain did not make him secure and the 32-year-old was frozen out by Monk after just two appearances under the new regime.
“It’s not good to have players at the training ground who know they won’t be playing,” Monk had said soon after his arrival at the club.
Bamba bounced back from his demotion at Leeds to sign for Cardiff in October and he has been a mainstay of the mid-table Championship side this season.
The 49-times Ivory Coast international has made 29 appearances in all competitions for Neil Warnock’s team.
In other Leeds transfer news, the club have sealed an out-of-window midfielder transfer.
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