Presenter Joe Wainman has admitted that he wanted Leeds United to sign Conor Gallagher in the recent transfer window.

What happened with Conor Gallagher this summer?

Gallagher spent last season on loan at West Brom, and was one of their shining lights in a dire campaign for the Baggies which saw them relegated to the Championship.

Having demonstrated his potential in the top-flight at The Hawthorns, Leeds were interested in taking Gallagher on loan from Chelsea earlier this summer as they looked to bolster their midfield options.

However, the 21-year-old opted to join fellow Premier League side Crystal Palace on a temporary basis instead.

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What has Joe Wainman said about Leeds missing out on Gallagher?

Wainman has confessed that he was disappointed to see Leeds fail to wrap up a deal for Gallagher, stating that he rates the England Under-21 international highly.

He said: “Conor Gallagher was the one that got away. Massive fan of him. I wish we would have got him in.”

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Can Leeds still kick on without Gallagher this season?

Leeds enjoyed a dream return to the Premier League last season, picking up memorable wins over Manchester City, Tottenham and Leicester on their way to a ninth-placed finish.

They also managed to keep hold of their key players this summer, with Raphinha staying and Jack Harrison joining the club on a permanent basis after a lengthy loan spell.

They failed to improve their midfield, though. This may not be a major concern for Bielsa given that he still has Kalvin Phillips, who is now an established international, in his ranks, while Stuart Dallas could return to the middle of the park if Junior Firpo settles in at left-back in the coming weeks.

However, Leeds could have benefited from bringing in another player for this area of the pitch, and Gallagher would have been the ideal target.

His box-to-box style fits perfectly with Bielsa's philosophy, and the youngster has already hit the ground running at Palace this season, scoring two beautifully-taken goals against West Ham in his most recent outing.

By adding Gallagher to their squad, Leeds may have fancied their chances of pushing even higher up the table this year. As it is, they didn't sign him, and it looks like Bielsa may have his work cut out in trying to get his side to kick on again in 2021/22.