Leeds United send Dan James to Fulham leaving Jesse Marsch with only two fit strikers after chaotic end to deadline day

When English football’s 2022 transfer window officially closed at 11pm, nothing had been struck, but in the world of deal sheets, transfers beyond the supposed cut-off are always possible.

For the second time in his young career it meant Dan James spent a deadline night in limbo, waiting to see if a proposed transfer would go through.

In January 2019 he found out at almost the last minute he would not be joining Leeds from Swansea City, and last night he was at Fulham, waiting to see if he would be allowed out on loan, a move that was finally rubber-stamped at 11.45pm.

Despite director of football Victor Orta having spent Wednesday in the Netherlands, the Whites missed out on target Cody Gakpo and hours after they thought they had signed Bamba Dieng from Marseille, the 22-year-old Senegal international decided to join Nice, only for reports to emerge in the final hour of trading that he had failed a medical there.

That was little consolation to Leeds, left frantically trying to complete a deal themselves.

They must now re-integrate Wales international James but can at least take heart from the fact the Hull-born 24-year-old has dealt professionally with this disappointment before, and may benefit from Marsch’s man-management skills.

“I’m pretty open with them because I don’t like having secrets within the team,” the American said in yesterday’s pre-match press conference. “I explained to them today about the situation.”

Initial target Charles de Ketelaere joined AC Milan last month, and a £17m offer for Hwang Hee-chan was rebuffed by Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Shortly after midday it was reported a fee of £8.7m plus add-ons had been agreed with Marseille for Dieng, prompting chairman Andrea Radrizzani to reply to a tweet by saying Leeds fans should “welcome” the forward.

But with Nice improving the offer rejected earlier in the week, his tune had changed by early evening to: “We have been screwed up, it happens even to the best ones.”

Leeds may well be back in for goalscoring Netherlands winger Gakpo in January after PSV decided against selling with the Dutch transfer window shutting 24 hours earlier than England’s.

A dislocated shoulder for Rodrigo against Everton on Tuesday highlighted the fragility of Leeds’s centre-forward resources, with first-choice Bamford dogged by a serious of injuries over the past year.

The good news, though, is that after coming off the bench against Everton, Bamford has a chance of starting at Brentford’s Community Stadium, and Rodrigo’s injury is only expected to keep him out for three to four weeks.

Leeds’s only other specialist centre-forward is the exciting but inexperienced Gelhardt, and Marsch yesterday floated the possibility of pairing him with Bamford at the weekend.

“Joffy has played mostly striker here but he’s more comfortable coming away from defenders,” he said. “One of his strengths is his cleverness to move in both directions. If you play with two strikers and Patrick can drift on the last line and he drops off, so we can create some tactical clarity and ease for them to play together.

“We’re also getting a lot out of (wingers Jack) Harrison, (Brenden) Aaronson and (Luis) Sinisterra and I think we’re going to get more out of them. It gives some flexibility.”

Marsch revealed 28-year-old Bamford and 20-year-old Gelhardt are a partnership off the field as well as on it.

“They have a really good relationship,” he said. “Patrick has really taken Joffy under his wing, trying to mentor him and make him into a great striker. As the leader I love seeing that.

“Before (last season’s) Brentford game Patrick sent Joffy a to-do list of things he should think about in the match. He sent it to me and asked if it was okay and I said perfect, great. I want to leave room for leadership.”

Meanwhile, Sheffield United look to have headed off Club Brugge interest in Sander Berge but the danger has not entirely passed with the Belgian deadline giving the Champions League qualifiers until Tuesday to complete their 2022 signings.

Brugge are understood to have fallen way short of Berge’s £35m release clause.

A bid of £4.5m potentially rising to £5m was said to have been lodged with Montreal for their midfielder Ismael Kone as a contingency if the Norwegian left but that deal will no longer be possible, with the English deadline at 11pm last night.

Two player did leave Bramall Lane last night, however, 20-year-old striker Will Osula joining League One Derby County on a season-long loan and defender Kacper Lopata moving permanently to Southend United.