How much was Leeds United target Cheikhou Kouyate earning a week at Nottingham Forest? | OneFootball

Cheikhou Kouyate is attracting interest from Leeds United after leaving Nottingham Forest in the summer

Leeds United have been linked with a move for free agent Cheikhou Kouyate after the 34-year-old left Nottingham Forest in the summer upon the expiration of his two-year deal.

According to The Yorkshire Evening Post, Daniel Farke's side are weighing up a potential move for the Senegal international, with Leeds recently losing midfielders Ethan Ampadu and Ilia Gruev to knee injuries, meaning they're short of bodies in central midfield.

Kouyate will be a familiar name to English football fans, with the midfielder having spent the last decade in the Premier League with the likes of West Ham, Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest, but he finds himself without a club after being released by Forest in the summer.

He may be past his best now at the age of 34, but with 291 Premier League appearances under his belt, he'd offer plenty of experience in a position of need for the Whites.

Kouyate spent two years at the City Ground with Forest following their promotion to the Premier League, and with that in mind we've taken a look at how much he was earning with the Reds.

Cheikhou Kouyate's estimated wage at Nottingham Forest

It must be stressed that we're using Capology for this data and while it's an estimate rather than 100% factual, it still offers us an interesting insight into player wages.

According to Capology, Kouyate was earning an estimated £45,000 a week during his two-year stay at the City Ground. This equates to £2.34million a year, meaning he picked up a total of £4.68m in wages during his time with Forest.

This made him the club's 11th highest earner last season, and given his lack of playing time, it's easy to see why they wanted to get his hefty wage off their books in the summer.

He was earning an estimated £65,000 a week during his time at Crystal Palace, as per Capology, a slight increase from the £60,000 a week he was earning during his latter years with West Ham.

Given his age and status as a free agent, it seems unlikely that he'll be able to command £45,000 a week should he join Leeds, although there are players at the club earning more than that, with the likes of Patrick Bamford and Junior Firpo earning an estimated £70,000 and £60,000 respectively.

Cheikhou Kouyate would be a smart addition for Leeds United

Kouyate only played 208 minutes of Premier League football last season, and will turn 35 in December, but he could still be a good addition for Leeds given their need for a defensive midfielder.

The Senegal international possesses a wealth of Premier League experience and would likely thrive in the Championship, and he'll be keen to get back playing after a couple of months without a club.

It's important that Leeds replace the likes of Ampadu and Gruev adequately, with the pair being out injured a huge blow, and Kouyate's experience would go a long way to filling that void.