Forgotten Arsenal favourite offered shock trial at Championship club Leeds
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Francis Coquelin is undergoing a trial with Leeds United, talkSPORT understands.
The former Arsenal star is training at Thorp Arch with the view to earning a contract with the Championship club.
Coquelin is currently without a club having left Villarreal over the summer.
The 33-year-old will be remembered for his time in north London with the midfielder joining as a 17-year-old in 2008.
After impressing on trial, Coquelin went on to become a first team player with the Gunners, making 160 appearances during his time at the club.
Nearly 10 years after joining, Coquelin completed a permanent move to Spanish side Valencia in January 2018 for a fee worth £14million.
There he made 89 appearances and helped them to the Copa de Rey crown in 2019, before joining Villarreal after 18 months.
During his time there, Coquelin played under Unai Emery and helped the team to Europa League glory in 2021.
However, with a contract that expired at the end of last term, the midfielder is now looking for his next opportunity in football.
Leeds are looking for a midfielder having lost both first-choice midfielders Ethan Ampadu and Ilia Gruev to recent knee injuries.
They had agreed a deal to sign Cheikhou Kouyate on a short-term deal, however that move fell through after an issue arose in his medical.
Tests showed that the free agent would not be fit to play for several weeks resulting in club chiefs pulling the plug on a short-term deal for the former Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace man.
Daniel Farke is keen to avoid derailing his side's efficient start to the season with the Whites sitting in fifth place in the Championship, three points adrift of leaders.
Leeds have lost just one of their opening nine league games and go into Friday night's mouthwatering clash with second-placed Sheffield United, which is live on talkSPORT, full of confidence after their 2-2 draw as Sunderland last time out.
Farke will be forced to field a patched up midfield for Friday's clash at Elland Road with Joe Rothwell and Ao Tanaka set to deputise.
